.|\|375 



'.',^. ' 



State of New Jersey 

Department of Public Instruction 

Trenton 

Hi^h School Series — Number 3 



The Teaching of 

High School 
English 




June 1914 



^'^^^^y 



State of New Jersey 

Department of Public Instruction 

Trenton 

High School Series — Number 3 



The Teaching of 

High School 
English 




June 1914 



UNION HILL, N. J. 
DISPATCH PRINTING COMPANY 
1914 






In a letter to De La Rive, Cavour, the famous Italian statesman, says; 
"I admit to you plainly that I do not feel capable of expressing in agreeable 
fashion all I think. From lack of practice, if not of talents, I experience 
great difficulty in framing my ideas so as to present them to the public. In 
my youth, they never taught me how to write ; in my whole life, I never had 
a professor of rhetoric, nor even of the humanities; moreover, it is only 
with the greatest apprehension that I shall decide to send you a manuscript 
to be printed. I have perceived, but too late, how essential it is to make the 
study of letters the basis of all intellectual education; the art of speech and 
of good writing exacts a refinement, a suppleness in certain organs, which 
one cannot acquire unless one exercises them in youth. Make your son write, 
make him compose, so that, when his head shall have become a workshop for 
ideas, he may be able to employ with ease the only machine which can put 
them in circulation — the pen." 

William Roscoe Thayes, Life and Times of Cavouk 



"But whatever you read remember that it is your own personality that you 
are trying to unlock. The poem or story or book, if it is the right one, should 
seem a sort of extension of yourself. You must carry, therefore, a large 
share of self confidence and self respect into your reading. You are looking 
for an outlet of your own soul rather than the inflow of another's. 
As a general thing you will find such an outlet in works written 
near your own time. But when the process of finding yourself has begun, 
you will be carried through many centuries and into many lands. 



"Literature, then, is within you. The masters only bring it out. It is to 
your soul that they cry Open Sesame. Whenever you say of a poem or 
story, That's what I have dimly felt before — or felt a thousand times before— 
but could never say, freedom through expression has begun. The masters 
have found you and you have begun to find yourself." 

C. Alphonso Smith, What Can Literature Do For Me? 



d; of D* 

JUN 30 1917 



CONTENTS 

Page 

Foreword 5 

Part I — Introductory 

Purposes of this pamphlet 7 

Aims of English course 7 

Divisions of course 9 

Practical English . 9 

Technical English 9 

Literature 9 

Organization of English work , 10 

Plan of course 10 

Program of classes 11 

Teachers' conferences 13 

Part II — Composition 

Practical English 15 

Oral expression 16 

Topical outline 17 

Talking before class 18 

Simple explanations 18 

Periodicals and reference books 19 

Reports on reading 20 

Toasts 20 

Correction 20 

A practical difficulty 21 

Written expression 22 

Letters 22 

Short themes — paragraphs 23 

Paragraph development 27 

Sentence development 27 

Long themes 27 

Correction of themes 28 

Methods of handling the papers to be corrected 29 

Abbreviations for corrections 31 

Directions for written exercises 32 

Technical English 32 

Grammar 32 

Spelling . Z2, 

Word study . 34 

Reference books 35 

Rhetoric 36 

The textbook — its use and limitations J)^ 



Part III — Literature 

Literature defined 39 

Preparation of class for literature lesson 45 

Reading aloud 46 

Talking about a selection 47 

Memorizing 48 

Reproducing in one's own language 48 

Plan for studying a novel — Silas Marner 49 

Study of poetry SO 

Study of a play 52 

Library 53 

Part IV — Course of study in outline 

Literature 55 

Practical English 55 

Technical English 56 

First year — first half 56 

First year — second half 59 

Examples of first year compositions 60 

Second year — first half 61 

Second year — second half 63 

Examples of second year compositions 64 

Third year — first half , 65 

Third year — second half ..... 67 

Examples of third year compositions 68 

Fourth year — first half, scheme A 70 

Fourth year — second half, scheme A 72 

Fourth year — scheme B T2> 

Examples of fourth year compositions 74 

Appendix A 

Public speaking and dramatics TJ 

Appendix B 

Bibliography 83 

Appendix C 

List of books to be read for pleasure and profit .................. 85 

Appendix D 

College entrance requirements in English 1915-19.................. 97 



FOREWORD 

The field of English instruction in high schools is, generally 
speaking, twofold : first, composition, both oral and written, and 
second, literature. One of these is of great practical or utilitarian 
value, the other affords spiritual resources. These resources, if 
not utilitarian in the popular sense, are notwithstanding service- 
able in the making of men and women of character. One, if well 
taught, affords discipline; the other, if well taught, makes pos- 
sible a better use of leisure — an aim of literature classes not to 
be forgotten under present day social conditions. 

Makers of high school courses of study and high school 
teachers have not been unmindful of these considerations. More 
of the pupils' time during the high school period is devoted to 
English than to any other subject, and this independent of the 
fact that every recitation is, in a sense, a recitation in English. 
In the large academic high schools there are more teachers of 
English than of any other subject. 

How far the results of the teaching justify the time and energy 
expended is not easily determined. It is not to be denied that 
results are not always what either the public or the teachers 
themselves could wish. In this connection there should be taken 
into account the forces at work outside of school which impair 
the results of English teaching, and which seriously handicap 
the work of teachers in this subject as the work of no other body 
of high school teachers is handicapped. Some of these forces are 
the prevailing low standards of spoken English in many homes 
and in many communities, the dislike of a large number of pupils 
for written composition of any sort, their inability to see the 
relation of good English to the practical affairs of the world, and 
the enormous amount of cheap periodical matter which the news- 
stands offer in tempting colors or pictorial adornment to old and 
young alike. 

A teacher should not be discouraged by these adverse condi- 
tions. On the contrary, he should frankly recognize them and 
attempt to analyze those peculiar to his locality. Having done 



this, his office is to counteract them, to set standards, and to 
translate these standards into the practice of pupils. 

Among the weaknesses in English teaching in high schools that 
have been pointed out are the following: setting up standards in 
oral and written composition, as well as in literature, that are 
too advanced for the pupils; using too much time on the niceties 
of English as compared with the fundamentals — common speech, 
writing of the single paragraph and letter writing; too much 
vague and uninteresting talking in literature classes; the 
reluctance of too many teachers to study effective methods of 
teaching; the aversion to teaching spelling and grammar, sub- 
jects which belong to the high school as well as to the elementary- 
school ; and the failure to realize that the great mass of high 
school pupils are children, with the capacity and interests of chil- 
dren rather than the capacities and interests of adults. 

Nevertheless, great as are the difficulties, it may be stated with 
confidence that the teaching of the subject in high schools is 
much more effective now than ever before. Much of this 
teaching is excellent. The purpose of this monograph will be 
served if such teaching becomes more general. More specifically, 
its purpose is, first, to assist teachers in setting up standards of 
accomplishment, and second, to indicate some of the means of 
accomplishment. 

The preparation of the monograph has been the work of Mr. 
Albert B. Meredith, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Sec- 
ondary Education. 

Mr. Meredith has had the cooperation of a committee of 
English teachers appointed by the Association of Teachers of 
English of the State, consisting of: 

Mr. J. Milnor Dorey, Head of the Department of English, 
Trenton High School ; 

Mr. W. Patterson Atkinson, Head of the Department of 
English, Lincoln High School, Jersey City; 

Miss Sarah J. McNary, Head of the Department of English, 
State Normal School, Trenton; 

Miss Cornelia MacMullan, Head of the Department of English, 
State Normal School, Montclair. 

Calvin N. Kendall 
Commissioner of Education 



THE TEACHING OF HIGH SCHOOL 
ENGLISH 



PART I 

INTRODUCTORY 



PURPOSES OF THIS PAMPHLET 

The purposes of this pamphlet are: 

1. To indicate the aims which should govern the study of 
English in the High School ; 

2. To give some general suggestions concerning class organiza- 
tion and methods which may be helpful in the treatment of the 
two phases of secondary instruction in English, viz., Composition 
and Literature; 

3. To outline the development of a course of instruction cov- 
ering four years ; 

4. To suggest material and sources of help to teachers and 
pupils. 

AIMS OF ENGUSH COURSE 

Secondary school English should be the natural and logical 
continuation of the instruction in the mother tongue in the 
elementary grades. 

In general the aims are the same as those which have guided 
the elementary instruction, although they are here stated in 



8 

other terms and with a changed emphasis. Greater originality 
in expression may be reasonably expected of high school boys 
and girls, while the pupils' wider range of interests, together with 
their increasing desire for more complete self-expression, will 
furnish a broader basis for composition, and for the appreciation 
and interpretation of literature. Beginning with the high school 
age, marked individual differences among young people assert 
themselves, which, when discovered by the alert teacher, should 
be made points of departure for the training of special skill in 
writing, and for the development of independent and wholesome 
judgments of literary values. 

At the same time the pupil should be led to discover through 
his study of literature those books which especially appeal to his 
own liking, quite irrespective of the effectiveness of their appeal 
to other persons. In other words, he should be helped to find 
his own literary tastes, or, through literature, to find himself. 

A succinct statement of the dominant aims of constructive high 
school English has recently been made in an open letter to 
teachers of English, * 

It is therein declared that the aims of English instruction are 
of three kinds: linguistic, cultural and ethical. 

First, school courses in English should aim to give pupils a 
workmanlike command of the tools of language for whatsoever 
purpose they may need to be used. 

A second aim should be that of literary appreciation, in a study 
of which should be included, beside classic forms, an attempt to 
standardize the tastes of the pupils in regard to present day 
theatre, fiction, song and periodic literature. 

The third aim should be ethical, for through an acquaintance 
with the ideals portrayed in literature, it should be possible to 
train pupils to form correct habits of conduct and to take a whole- 
some attitude toward life. 

To realize these ends the English course in the high school 
falls naturally into two chief divisions, Practical and Technical 
English, and Literature. 



* An Open Letter to Teachers of English, bv the Executive Committee of the 
New York State Association of Teachers of English. 



DIVISIONS OF COURSE 

Practical English. Practical English includes both oral and 
written expression. Its purpose is to communicate thought 
clearly, tersely and effectively. The work of instruction in 
Practical English devolves upon all teachers, whether they are 
classified as English teachers or not, and the subject should be 
regarded, not as an occasional and isolated exercise, but as a 
vital and central part of the school's activities. 

Oral and written expression is manifestly fundamental in 
school life and much will have been accomplished if a pupil has 
been taught in four years to think clearly, and to express himself 
cogently in correct and idiomatic English. 

Technical English. Technical English includes grammar, 
spelling, punctuation, pronunciation, the conventions used in 
letter writing, word formation and the use of the dictionary, 
together with some inductive study of the principles of rhetoric. 

The high school should aim to teach English as an art, i. c., 
not to produce grammarians or rhetoricians, but young men and 
women who can speak and write with clearness, vigor and grace 
of diction, and who at the same time can read literature appre- 
ciatively and intelligently. Technical English, the scientific 
study of the mother tongue, is simply a means to this end, and 
as such should have a definite place in the scheme of instruction. 

In this connection it should be especially remembered that the 
purpose of the study of English grammar is to establish standards 
of self-criticism, not to develop facility in speaking or writing. 

Literature. Literature here refers to that vast body of written 
material, classic and contemporary, which in words of truth and 
beauty is the expression of life, and which makes its appeal 
through our emotions and intellect. The literary phase of Eng- 
lish study purposes to lead the pupils to read and to enjoy the 
written portrayal of life in its various aspects, and thus to de- 
velop in young people a broader outlook than their own expe- 
rience affords. 

The ethical value of ideals, which find expression in literature, 
should not be overlooked. For the formative influences of ideals 
of conduct are effective factors in the ethical training of young 



10 

people, especially if these ideals are not forced upon the atten- 
tion of pupils but are allowed to have their indirect and uncon- 
scious effect. Teachers should always remember that the chief 
purpose of English instruction is to teach pupils how to use the 
languag-e and how to appreciate and enjoy it as literature, not 
to teach ethics under the guise of English, 

The selection of texts to be read and studied for each year 
should be based upon the pupils' interests and stages of mental 
growth, and should afford an opportunity for familiarity with 
each of the great literary types. There is suggested, therefore, 
a considerable breadth and variety of reading, including the 
various forms of lyric poetry, epic poetry, the short story, 
biography, the novel, travel, adventure, the oration, the literary 
essay, historical and scientific treatises and the drama. In addi- 
tion it is strongly urged that pupils be taught to evaluate the 
different forms of contemporary literature, such as the news- 
paper, the magazine, fiction and the drama. 

ORGANIZATION OF ENGUSH WORK 

Plan of course. In all "approved" and "registered" high 
schools throughout the State not only should systematic instruc- 
tion in English be required, but the weekly time tables or 
schedules of classes should be so arranged as to allow, during 
the four years, a minimum total of fifteen periods of English. 
It should also be the practice to require English in all curricula, 
although the proportion of time allotted to composition and literar- 
lure may vary from year to year. 

In those schools whose plan of organization provides for 
twenty periods of English the following is a suggested arrange- 
ment of the different elements of instruction and the relative 
amounts of time to be given to each: 

First year. Five periods a week, three periods to be given to 
composition and technical English and two to the reading and 
study of literature. 

Second year. Five periods a week, three periods to composi- 
tion and technical English and two to the reading and study of 
literature. 



II 

Third year. Five periods a week, two periods to composition 
and three to the reading and study of literature. 

Fourth year. Five periods a week, two periods to composition 
and three to the reading and study of literature. As a part of this 
latter work, a portion of the time, say one period a week, may 
well be given to a brief outline study of the historical develop- 
ment of English and American literature. 

The above allotments of time suggest the proportions of the 
course as a whole, not the weekly plan. Frequently teachers will 
prefer to treat reading and composition, grammar or spelling in 
the same recitation period rather than designate special days for 
each branch. Teachers sometimes mass the instruction on dif- 
ferent parts of the course, first devoting a number of consecutive 
weeks to grammar and composition and then giving the re- 
mainder of the time to reading. No one plan can claim to be 
the best, and each teacher must be guided by what gives the best 
results in his particular school. 

In connection with the work done in the classrooms there 
should be as much supplementary reading as library facilities 
and local conditions will permit. 

Program of classes. In the small school the arrangement of 
classes in English presents no particular difficulties except that 
the English teacher is not usually allowed all the time desirable 
to do the best work in his subject. In a seven period day to 
require of a teacher four classes in English and three in some 
other subject or subjects is placing upon him a heavy burden. 
Under these conditions individual work with pupils during school 
is impossible, and consultations, when they are held at all, must 
necessarily come outside of school hours. 

The week's time-table should, therefore, be so arranged that 
the English teacher may have periods for consultation with pupils 
during school hours ; and classes should be small enough to allow 
some personal contact with each pupil. When a teacher gives 
instruction in English only, at least one period a day should be 
allotted for personal conferences with the individual members 
of his class. Such a plan is absolutely necessary for efificient 
instruction in composition. A total of one hundred different 
pupils per English teacher is a desirable maximum, and in no 



12 

case should a recitation division exceed twenty five pupils. If 
the school is sufficiently large to justify several teachers of 
English the arrangement of classes requires the careful consid- 
eration of the principal and the head of the English Department. 
It is generally true that the best results are not obtained by 
consigning all the work in composition to certain teachers and 
to others all the recitations in literature. It is a good practice, 
for the sake of life and leaven in the classroom, to require a 
teacher of English to teach, in occasional years, some other sub- 
ject or subjects for which he may be legally qualified. 

It may well be questioned, at this point, whether the complete 
departmentalizing of instruction in the high school has proved 
to be for the best interests of all subjects, particularly when all 
the responsibility for the teaching of English has apparently 
fallen upon the English teacher. Since the use of the mother 
tongue is so fundamental in all mental development, training in 
English must of necessity lose much of its value if it is separated 
from such subjects as are being studied primarily for their 
thought content. The responsibility of the teacher of subjects 
other than English, therefore, does not end with emphasizing 
content. Attention must be given to the expression of this con- 
tent. 

Of greatest importance, however, is the assignment to first 
year classes of the most experienced, sympathetic and enthu- 
siastic teachers of English. Such a teacher will ever keep in 
mind that he is dealing with children, not with men and women. 
He will also remember that first year pupils are but a step re- 
moved from the elementary grades, and that they are, at the same 
time, at just the age when life is coming to assume to them a new 
and perplexing aspect. Failure fully to realize this condition 
and its attendant responsibility is the cause of most of the failures 
and discouragements incident to this year. A teacher who does 
not fully enjoy teaching composition and who is not especially 
helpful and optimistic in his criticism of the attempts of pupils 
at self expression will meet special difficulties in the work of 
first year classes. 

It is almost as important, in the assignment of teachers to the 
third and fourth year, that systematic work in composition shall 



13 

not, because of the necessity for theme-correcting, be crowded 
out by enthusiasm for literature. The ability to teach literature 
is only one of the qualifications of a teacher of high school 
English. 

Teachers' conferences. To give unity to the course of study 
in English it is absolutely necessary that there be held, from 
time to time, conferences of teachers and supervisors. These 
conferences will be of three general types: (i) departmental 
meetings ; (2) general meetings, at which English is the topic for 
discussion; and (3) meetings with teachers of the seventh and 
eighth grades. 

In the departmental conferences, methods of instruction, the 
content and organization of the English courses and the degree 
of progress made by the different classes, will be the chief topics. 
Each teacher will thus become familiar with the viewpoint, spirit 
and progress of the English work of the entire school and with 
the principles underlying its general method of presentation. As 
a result of these conferences each teacher will be able to do hi§ 
assigned part more intelligently and effectively. Meetings of 
this character should be held at least once a month. 

Occasionally the principal of the high school should make the 
content and relations of the course in English the subject for 
discussion at one of the stated teachers' meetings. At this time the 
vital relation of English to the entire program of studies of the 
school should be emphasized. The aims and methods of English 
study, particularly as they relate to oral and written composition, 
should be made clear, and plans should be devised for the de- 
velopment of more effective expression, in connection with the 
teaching of all subjects. Among the questions discussed could 
be : the quality of the oral recitation, the amount of written work 
to be required by each teacher, the method of correction of 
written work, especially for the quality of expression, and other 
related topics. It will become increasingly clear that much of 
the written and oral work in other subjects will form an excellent 
basis for estimating the results of the formal English instruction. 

A third type of conference is that between the teachers of the 
seventh and eighth grades and the English teachers of the ninth 
grade (high school). Such conferences, especially when supple- 



14 

merited by reciprocal visits, are of especial importance, because 
the beginnings of high school English are so intimately related 
to the instruction in the upper elementary grades. When the 
high school is organized on the six year plan this conference 
will merge into the departmental conference discussed above. 
There should be developed in these meetings a clear and definite 
understanding of the language knowledge gained and the 
language habits formed in the elementary school, in their rela- 
tion to similar problems in the study of high school English. 

Such conferences will demonstrate the fact that for pupils 
entering high school the practical needs of English as a tool of 
expression are of more importance than are literary criticisms or 
the theoretical claims as to where high school English begins. 
The ninth grade teacher should take pupils as they come to him, 
with their limitations and excellences, and make their needs the 
place of beginning his instruction. The only place for high school 
English to begin is the place at which the pupils are when they 
enter. 

A modification of this third type of conference may occur when 
a high school receives pupils from the elementary grades of other 
districts. Under these circumstances the problem of articulation 
is more difficult but none the less important. If formal meetings 
are impracticable, a visit by the ninth grade teacher and the 
high school principal to the seventh and eighth grade classes of 
the contributing schools, for the purpose of observing the amount 
and character of the training given there, will be well worth the 
necessary time and expense. Such a visit, together with a con- 
ference with the county superintendent, will result in greater 
efficiency, both in the elementary and in the high school classes. 



PART II 

COMPOSITION 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

Practical English means the kind of English people use in 
every-day life. The ability to express his ideas intelligently and 
effectively is certainly of vital importance to the pupil while he 
is in school, and no matter what vocation he may select this 
ability will always be of the greatest value to him in after life. 
Since mental activity precedes words, in order to gain this power 
he must be trained to observe accurately, to think clearly and 
to feel rightly. Language as a common medium of communica-= 
tion must be taught in such a way that a person may express in 
accordance with accepted usage what he observes and thinks 
and feels. The effort thus to express himself will in turn incite 
him to more exact observation and to clearer thinking. For let 
it not be forgotten that for most people composition is a difficult 
art, and one which is acquired only after long and patient prac- 
tice, enriched by wide and varied experiences. The following 
quotation from Morley's Life of Gladstone illustrates this point: 

As nearly always, it was less by school work or spoken addresses in juvenile 
debate, or early attempts in the great and difficult art of written composition, 
than by blithe and congenial comradeship that the mind of the young Glad- 
stone was stimulated, opened, strengthened. — Vol. i, Book i, ch. Hi. 

The term practical implies not only the speaker or writer, 
but also the hearer or reader. Too frequently a school com- 
position is a one-sided, unnatural effort to say something for no 
immediate purpose other than to satisfy a critical teacher, who 
has only a simulated interest in the matter presented. The ap- 
peal of a more remote motive — the desire to be well prepared 
for the demands which life may make five or ten years hence — 
is still more faintly operative with the average high school pupiL 

IS 



i6 

The most powerful stimulus to either oral or written expression 
is some immediate motive associated with the expression itself; 
e. g. , the desire to tell some personal experience which an 
audience will like to hear, or to present an argument which will 
win over others to one's own point of view, or to write that which 
will be of immediate use to somebody. The school paper will 
provide an admirable means of individual expression. This 
medium should be more widely encouraged in school life. The 
teacher's readiness to seize opportunities for motivation is a 
powerful factor in his success in teaching composition. 

ORAL EXPRESSION 

By oral expression is meant the kind of oral English that people 
use in daily life. In school life it takes the form of continuous 
speech by the student, from one to perhaps ten minutes, on a 
given subject. This discussion is given after careful preparation 
of subject matter, outline and general method of treatment, but 
should never be preceded by the memorizing of written sen- 
tences. The practical value of this kind of work as an element 
in personal efifectiveness and as a means of mental training needs 
no demonstration. It is generally conceded to be of more im- 
portance than written composition, and where practicable should 
precede written composition. The opportunity for such teach- 
ing should be utilized in every recitation, to the immediate ad- 
vantage of the subject matter under consideration. If teachers 
refuse to accept a broken, footless jumble, or to complete for the 
reciter his lagging half-statements, if they frequently insist upon 
continuous sentences bearing upon the point called for and ar- 
ranged in reasoned order, they will gain the triple end of having 
clarified and impressed the history or the science in question, of 
having guided the student in methods of study and of having 
taught English in a really vital way. In order to do this the 
teacher must himself thoroughly understand unity, emphasis and 
coherence, that he may know how to help the young speaker to 
acquire these essential qualities; and he must practice them in 
his own speech, that he may furnish models for imitation. All 
this he can do without harping upon the technical terms. Too 



17 

often, however, teachers do not recognize that the formal side 
of oral expression is of fundamental importance. 

Topical outline. As a powerful aid toward sticking to the 
point (unity) in an orderly manner (coherence) the use of the 
topical outline should be emphasized. Since composition, both 
oral and written, is primarily thought, the outline becomes of 
supreme importance in the development of this art. By its use 
thought is organized and made effective. The first steps in out- 
line making will in all probability have been taught in the ele- 
mentary school, but whenever it is presented it must be de- 
veloped through cooperation with pupils by slow steps, patiently 
and cheerfully. It should be employed from the beginning to 
the end of the high school course. 

The outline is of equal importance in written and in oral work, 
but for convenience it is treated finally at this point. 

In preparing an outline it is well to use a conventional form. 
The following is a convenient graphic representation: 



H 

The chief conventions to observe in constructing it are these i 

1. Points of the same rank (I and II, A and B, etc.) should be 
in the same grammatical construction; 

2. A subordinate point should be so expressed as to make 
sense when read in connection with the topic on which it depends ; 

3. A single subdivision should not usually be made, for A 
implies B, and i implies 2. 

These conventions are illustrated in the following: 

The Paper Dolls of My Childhood 

I. My first recollections of them 

A. In the nursery 

B. In the sewing roonj 



i8 

IL My later delight 

A. When I could make dresses for them 

1. To earn money 

2. To please my sister 

a. By giving them to her 

b. By showing her how to make them 

B. When I could swap them with my friends, etc. 

Teachers should constantly be on their guard lest an over- 
refinement of the outline lead to a formalism in expression 
which will check all spontaneity. The outline should be used as 
a help and not allowed to become a master. 

Talking before class. Since training in one form of expression 
or in one class of subjects does not insure facility in others, and 
also since fluency and force depend largely upon the degree of 
interest felt by speaker and audience, the pupil should have fre- 
quent opportunity to talk about the subjects that especially 
appeal to him, and he should be encouraged to broaden his range 
of choice as much as practicable. He should also vary the form 
of his discourse, sometimes by telling a story or by making 
reports of his studies ; then by describing what he has seen, or 
discussing, informally, matters of current interest; again, he 
should explain how or why something is done, and occasionally 
try to convince his audience that something should be done dif- 
ferently. Thus in turn he uses narration, description, exposition 
and argumentation. 

The following concrete examples will suggest different types 
of oral exercises. 

Simple explanations. Have the pupil face the rest of the class 
and, without leaning upon a desk or chair for support, explain, 
logically, clearly and completely, some idea, some article or some 
process concerning which he has informed himself, H the sub- 
ject admits, he may illustrate by the article itself or by drawings 
or diagrams upon the board. The boys will not consider it a 
hardship to deal with such topics as : 

How to set up a tent 
How to make a camp bed 
How to break a colt 
How to build a bird house 
How to run an automobile 



19 

How asphalt roads are made 

Why the days grow short in winter 

What forests are good for 

How boards are made from trees 

The conditions necessary for a good snap-shot picture 

The girls will draw their material from other sources, and 
present subjects like the following: 

How to make a bed 

Recipes for fudge 

How to make a leather card case 

How to put in a sleeve 

How a sewing machine ties a thread 

How styles change 

Manual training and domestic science will also furnish ex- 
cellent material for such explanations. Subjects taken from 
science, history and mathematics would be equally valuable. 
For clearness and finish in thinking and for clean-cut expression 
a mathematical demonstration stands preeminent. As it will be 
uninteresting for each person to talk about the same thing, the 
pupils must select individual topics, having first had general 
suggestions from the teacher. 

Periodicals and reference books. Another type of oral work 
is a general study of magazines and reference books. Obviously, 
this can best be done by recourse to a city, town or school li- 
brary, but this is not absolutely necessary. Each pupil may be 
assigned or allowed to select a current magazine, presumably of 
some excellence, upon which he shall thoroughly inform the class, 
noting publishers, price, form, arrangement, material, illustra- 
tions, purpose and other points which will suggest themselves. 
He will learn to appraise the quality of the articles and stories 
in the different magazines, and thus their relative uses and values 
can be naturally and forcibly brought out. 

At another time, the various reference books accessible (dic- 
tionaries, atlases, periodical indexes, etc.) may be treated in the 
same way, each pupil reporting on one or more in a complete 
and definite way. Experience has taught that it is better to 
assign particular books to individual members of the class, as 



20 

individual abilities and tastes ought to be considered. Following 
this lesson, exercises may be assigned in which each pupil is re- 
quired to use several of the reference books under discussion, so 
that the purposes and values of the books may be realized more 
concretely. 

Reports on reading. In connection with the study of literature 
reports on outside reading can also be made a part of the regular 
oral work. At stated intervals divisions of the class may give 
reports on books selected from a list supplied by the teacher. 
It is essential that such discourses be brief, relating to the gen- 
eral matters of setting, plot, character study and purpose of the 
book, rather than giving the minute incidents in the story. 

Toasts. Toasts offered at an imaginary banquet afford an- 
other interesting occasion for purposeful oral composition. In 
several New Jersey high schools, during the closing months of 
the senior year the graduating class has prepared as a regular 
class exercise a program, as of a class reunion dinner twenty 
years later. Toasts are given either with or without notes, both 
with and without warning, and different pupils are asked to 
respond. When notes are used they are limited to the space of 
a visiting card. Criticism follows the completion of the pro- 
gram. In this work, as in all oral composition, there is a double 
exercise in structure. The speaker builds up a composition on 
the outline in hand, and each student analyzes the theme as it is 
given. When the class fails to understand the plan, the speaker 
is asked to place his notes on the blackboard, and a specific 
diagnosis is made. In almost every case the trouble is found in 
the outline itself. It pretends to be an outline, but it is not. 
Instead, it is a series of jottings to help a treacherous memory. 
In this way the essential relation between clear thinking and an 
outline is emphasized. 

Correction. A necessary condition, however, for the effective 
teaching of such oral expression is a classroom in which pupils 
will dare to speak as well as they can. In a written composition 
to be read by the teacher only, a high school pupil will use words 
and expressions of which he is somewhat doubtful, and which 
he will not introduce into his oral speech for fear his classmates 
will say that he "talks like a book." This difficulty with many 



21 



pupils is a real one and must be overcome. To do it the teacher 
should first of all be both careful in his own speech, as suggested 
above, and considerate in correcting the errors of pupils. He 
must try to avoid giving the impression that pointing out faults 
in speech is closely akin to correcting manners. He must also 
remember that, more than in written composition, he is here 
opposing the traditions of the home and playground. Further, 
every opportunity must be taken to insist that exactness in 
speech is not an effeminate trait, but rather that crisp and ac- 
curate diction is a mark of efficiency and an evidence of educa- 
tion. Finally, care must be taken that mere fluency of speech is 
not held at a premium, and that due regard is paid to the slow 
but solid pupil whose speech does not come readily but who 
has thoughts worthy of attention. 

A practical difficulty. One practical difficulty with oral ex- 
pression is that the material does not remain in some visible 
form for deliberate criticism and discussion. Moreover, it is not 
a good practice to interrupt an oral theme at the time an error 
is made, and yet to remember until the end is exceedingly dif- 
ficult. The difficulty may be, to some extent, overcome by dis- 
tributing among the members of the class the duties of the critic, 
asking one pupil or a group of pupils, for example, to notice 
pronunciation ; another, precision in the use of words ; another, 
redundance ; another, the coherence of sentences. In this work 
the pupils should be encouraged to take written notes and make 
their oral corrections from them; they should also be prepared 
to commend excellences as well as to point out errors or defects. 
Finally, the criticism should include a judgment of the com- 
position as a whole and a statement concerning the effectiveness 
of the speaker in carrying his point. When the oral theme is 
finished the critics may report, and the teacher may add any 
comments on what he has noted during the delivery of the theme. 
By this method all the pupils have admirable opportunity to gain 
power in clear thinking and pointed expression. 

In oral expression, as in reading, attention should be paid to 
manner of delivery. Thick, muffled or shrill tones should not 
be tolerated, nor should slipshod utterance be accepted. Clear 
and agreeable voice and distinct enunciation should be eagerly 
cultivated. 



22 

Debating, literary and dramatic activities as factors in the 
development of the high school pupil's linguistic growth and 
power should have a part in the life of the school, and although 
closely allied with oral expression, their importance warrants 
treatment in a separate section. (See page yj.^ 

WRITTEN EXPRESSION 

Letters. Letter writing, on account of the part it plays in 
life, is the most important form of written composition. Because 
they may be put to immediate service, letters also afford a useful 
means of motivation. Most of the conventions of letter writing 
— heading, salutation, conclusion, superscription, phrasing of 
social and business correspondence, even the question of appro- 
priate paper and ink — need careful treatment in the high school. 
Since usage in some of these matters, especially punctuation, 
often changes, the teacher must continually consult recent 
authorities and note the practice of the majority of well informed 
persons. Letters sent out by publishing houses are usually a 
safe guide in business forms, and they are easily obtainable. 

In this connection, time may be well spent in making a class 
study of the prominent qualities of letter paper and the general 
characteristics of inks. A writer's personality and tastes are so 
plainly revealed through his choice of stationery and ink that 
pupils should be taught what is considered good usage. 

All the qualities and forms of good composition may be used 
in letters. Business and social letters call for absolute exactness 
of statement, together with courteousness of phrasing. Friendly 
letters admit description, narration, exposition, occasionally even 
argumentation. They also not only call for simplicity and ease 
of expression and entire avoidance of pomposity, but invite the 
freest play of the writer's originality. 

That all the opportunities may be fully utilized, each letter 
should be written with the intention of sending it to the person 
addressed. Some of the teacher's own business letters may be 
composed by the class. Social occasions may call for formal 
invitations and replies. Friendly letters may be sent to other 
schools, or they may be written to children or shut-in persons. 



23 

The letters of Thackeray, Stevenson, Phillips Brooks, Charles 
Lamb, etc., may be read to the class for suggestions as to style 
and matter. 

The value of a business letter written by the entire class will 
be obvious. For instance, the class, representing the Board of 
Education, has written at its last session an order for a grind- 
stone, to be used in the manual training department. This stone 
has supposedly been delivered in bad shape, a crack being plainly 
visible. The shipper must now be informed of the receipt of the 
stone, of its condition upon arrival, of the supposed reasons for 
this condition ; and the question is raised as to whether or not 
the stone can be accepted. Perhaps a claim for damages will 
have to be made against the railroad transporting the stone. All 
these matters, when brought out by oral discussion, are put upon 
the blackboard. Different pupils compose oral sentences bring- 
ing out various points, which are criticised by the class with an 
eye to fact, style of statement and grammatical accuracy. When 
each point has been discussed and several oral versions of the 
letter have been given, at a stated signal each pupil writes for 
himself the proposed letter. This, after correction, is copied by 
the pupil into his note-book for future reference. The best letter 
may then be put upon the board and its special merits pointed 
out. 

For further suggestions regarding forms and conventions used 
in letter writing, the teacher should consult the pamphlet en- 
titled The Teaching of Elementary Composition and Grammar, 
issued by this Department. 

Short themes — paragraphs. Of written compositions other 
than letters, the short theme or paragraph should predominate. 
A paragraph of this type may consist of from one hundred and 
fifty to two hundred words, and as many should be written as 
may be necessary to fix the particular principles of composition 
under discussion in the class work at the time. In form this 
exercise may be a letter, an isolated paragraph or one of a few 
related paragraphs. 

In this, as in all other forms of composition, much depends on 
the method of announcing the work to the class. Unwise or 
vague assignments would seldom be made if the teacher himself 



24 

first wrote such papers as he expects from his pupils. He should 
so announce and talk over the subjects that the pupils not only 
know what to do and how to do it but feel eager to be about the 
task. In some cases the class and teacher together may build 
up the outline or write the opening sentences of the paragraph, 
working at the blackboard. At other times the writing naturally 
follows a spirited discussion of a subject f'^r its own sake. 

But the teacher must not do too much. Intellectual honesty 
is of more worth than any insincere expression, however brilliant. 
When the pupil writes it should be because he has thought 

Such assignments as "write a complex sentence," "write a 
paragraph," "write a theme of one hundred and fifty words" or 
any exercise in which the pupil is led to think more of the form 
than of the content, can cause only confusion, insincerity and 
formalism in writing. With no more definite purpose before 
him than is indicated in the topics themselves, in nine cases out 
of ten the pupil pictures to himself other writing units, sentences, 
paragraphs, etc., similar to the one suggested, and immediately 
sets to work to write something that will look like the one as- 
signed. 

In contrast with the above, the following topics indicate a 
purposive quality, and at the sam.e time suggest treatment from 
a definite point of view. 

Subject — Our dirty streets 

Purpose — To show the neglect of the Street Cleaning Department 

Point of view — That of a resident 

Subject — Our dirty streets 

Purpose — To show what dangers to health exist in street dirt 

Point of view — That of a doctor 

Subject — The train wreck 

Purpose — To explain the rescue work 

Point of view — That of a nurse 

Subject — The train wreck 

Purpose — To show the carelessness of the railroad management 

Point of view — That of a newspaper reporter 

A purpose and a pomt of view being established, the teacher 
should, by skilful questioning, l^.ad the pupil to the development 
of consecutive thought, remembering that time given to prep- 



25 

aration for writing is of far greater value than an equal amount 
spent in correcting themes. 

Some teachers have found it a helpful practice to provide 
themselves with sets of large envelopes, twenty or thirty in 
number, and in these envelopes to file composition or theme 
material. This may consist of clippings, references to passages 
in various books and bits of school experience, together with 
copies of the best work done by different pupils of the class. In 
addition to serving as suggestions for themes, this material may 
often be used as models of good writing. 

Good composition usually follozvs good motivation, i. e., writing 
for an interested audience. The teacher himself is such an 
audience when the class write about personal experiences or 
about any other subject concerning which he may know less 
than they. When the pupils feel that the teacher knows more 
about the subject matter than they do the audience stimulus 
must be found elsewhere — in another classroom, perhaps. The 
imagined audience is often a better spur to writing than the 
thought of the teacher. If no such incentive can be found the 
conditions attending composition are strained and unnatural. 

The topics for the themes should be varied in character, but 
should most often be close to life — personal experience, direct 
observation, what live people talk about, matters of current in- 
terest. Many subjects of interest will grow out of the work in 
agriculture, manual training and the household arts courses. Fre- 
quently the subjects relating to vocations will prove stimulating 
to inquiry, and avenues of future activity may be discovered by 
the youthful writer. 

Mr. Jesse B. Davis, principal of the Central High School of 
Grand Rapids, Michigan, has made a practical use of motivation 
by relating to his course in theme writing a plan of vocational 
and moral guidance. His purpose is to inject a life interest into 
theme writing by requiring pupils to study their environment 
and themselves. Thus they may become of greater usefulness 
to the community in which they live. 

This phase of theme writing does not exclude other forms and 
occupies only about one fourth of the time given to composition. 
Each year has a main topic and around it are grouped other 



26 

related topics. The following outline is suggestive of the main 
features of the plan. 

Grade IX. Main topic, Elements of success in life. 

The class studies the lives of successful men and women for 
the purpose of discovering the habits of life and of work that 
have contributed to their greatness. Lists of these characteristics 
are made out and form the basis for studying and writing about 
the fundamental elements of success. 

Such topics as the following have been used: 

How I could earn my living if I were to leave school now 

Some employments of boys and girls of my own age 

The business asset of personal appearance, good manners and cheerfulness 

Grade X. Main topic, The world's work ; A call to service. 

Various occupations of men and women 
How to choose a vocation, etc. 

Grade XI. Main topic, Preparation for life's work. 
Topics relating to business and professional ethics 

Grade XII. Main topic, Social relations. 

My profession or my business and the law 
The effect of a well governed city upon business 
Why should I be wilhng to pay taxes? 
What is meant by the patriotism of peace? 

A topic closely associated with some lesson other than English 
may sometimes be made a theme-subject, and thus the necessity 
of equal care in all the writing done in the school will be prop- 
erly emphasized. All teachers must be at one on this point, or 
the labor of the teacher of English will fall short of its possibili- 
ties. 

Subjects drawn from the study of literature should be used 
with caution ; never when they are forced or not immediately 
appealing. All pompous, high sounding subjects are to be reso- 
lutely avoided. The immaturity of the writers must be kept 
constantly in the teacher's mind. To give them subjects beyond 
their depth is to tempt pupils to plagiarize. Every slight indi- 



27 

cation of orig^inality should be encouraged. At the same time, 
it must be remembered that he who would write must read. 
Good magazine and newspaper articles should be read and dis- 
cussed in the classroom, and a wide and varied selection of books 
should be accessible. 

Since life demands their utilization, all the forms of discourse, 
narration, description, exposition and argumentation should be 
used in turn, without hair-splitting classroom distinctions, but 
with definite purpose on the part of the teacher. 

Paragraph development. The conscious study of methods of 
paragraph development is definitely helpful to the class, and this 
subject is usually treated very fully in modern textbooks on 
composition. To know what is meant by developing a topic 
sentence by means of varied repetition, of details, of example, of 
comparison, of contrast, is to be trained both in thought and in 
its expression. 

Sentence development. The sentence should claim a reason- 
able share of attention. The fundamental distinctions among 
phrases, clauses and sentences must be mastered. In the revision 
stage of writing, sentence reconstruction is often desirable in 
order to make the paragraph hang together more closely, so 
that the reader may be sure to get the writer's meaning. Here 
grammatical analysis has one of its chief uses. It is scarcely 
possible to teach sentence coherence — the subordination in ex- 
pression of ideas that are subordinate in thought — without a good 
foundation of grammar. This phase of grammar belongs in the 
high school rather than in the grades; it should be taught with 
constant reference to its application in composition and as an 
aid to understanding what is read. 

Zeal for the one inevitable right word, willingness to hunt for 
it patiently, may be kindled in due time in the latter part of the 
course. But all this should never be at the expense of interest, 
spirit, spontaneity. 

Long themes. Papers of from six hundred to one thousand or 
more words may be written during the latter part of the course. 
Such themes will consist of several related paragraphs, and the 
additional composition problem presented is that of making tran- 
sitions from one paragraph to another. For the long theme the 



28 

topical outline is an absolute necessity. If the outline be not 
always actually written beforehand, the theme should neverthe- 
less be so constructed that a reader can perceive the supporting 
structure. What was said under short themes applies in general 
here. 

When the long theme depends on matter outside the pupil's 
own experience, as it sometimes may, careful instruction should 
be given at the proper time as to how to find and use such 
material. But only a moderate number of themes should need 
such preparation. The story and the personal experience are as 
much in place here as in briefer work. One of the most effec- 
tively motived efforts of this kind is a dramatization of some 
story read perhaps in class. The getting of such a dramatization 
into final shape for presentation stimulates class discussion and 
joint composition. Another favorite form of long theme is the 
continued story. If this is copied in the form of a book, with 
illustrations and artistic binding, the young author .will set a 
very high value upon the work of his brain and hands. Such 
work, however, belongs well on toward the end of the course. 

Correction of themes. In this indispensable part of language 
teaching, the maximum of effectiveness should be obtained with 
the minimum of labor. The aim should be always to help the 
pupil to do better next time, not merely to grade his paper for 
entry in a record book. This helpfulness is exercised by appre- 
ciation of whatever is in any way praiseworthy in a paper, and 
by clearly showing the young writer how to avoid the particular 
kinds of errors which he can reasonably be expected to over- 
come at his present stage of development. Real power in com- 
position has been developed when a pupil becomes a critic of his 
own products. 

The teacher's ability to discern evidences of honest efiFort and 
of promise depends upon his acquaintance with his individual 
pupils, and upon his knowledge of what is worth while in written 
English. His corrective power depends upon his skill in im- 
pressing a given idea and upon his patience and ingenuity in 
drill. 

The most troublesome and usually the most numerous errors 
in English are those which have persisted for perhaps years, and 



29 

which have therefore made deep habit-tracks. The removal of 
such errors requires : 

1. The arousing of determination to overcome them on the 
part of the pupil ; 

2. A stimulating presentation by the teacher of the correct 
form that is to displace the incorrect one ; 

3. Opportunity for frequent repetition of the right form. 
Special motivation is here very important; e. g., drill in the 

writing of the possessive case may take shape in letters in which 
all forms of the possessive are repeatedly illustrated, the letters 
to be sent to the grammar grade learning these conventions for 
the first time. Varied and determined drill to overcome ele- 
mentary mistakes ; a course so simplified that no more new points 
of form are presented in a given time than the majority of the 
pupils can master; a definite standard of correctness, with cheer- 
ful firmness and resourcefulness on the part of the teacher — 
these conditions are bound to secure right results. The persist- 
ence of glaring faults in spelling, grammar and punctuation on 
the part of a majority of his pupils is an expression of a teacher's 
carelessness and incapacity. 

Teachers will find that the most common errors of speech 
group themselves under a comparatively few general classes. 
For a helpful list of such errors, the teacher is referred to "Ap- 
pendix A" of the pamphlet entitled The Teaching of Elementary 
Composition and Grammar, issued by this Department. 

Methods of handling the papers to be corrected. The ideal in 
view is the correction of his own paper by the writer. This can 
most easily be managed when the whole class write on the same 
subject. Typical themes, or portions of them, can be written on 
the blackboard and corrected by class and teacher. 

Teachers are urged to make a more extensive use of the black- 
board than has hitherto characterized classroom practice. 
Economy of time will result and criticism will be more generally 
helpful. 

Another economy of time and eflFort may be effected by the 
use of a reflectoscope, whereby a pupil's theme may be put before 
the entire class at one time. 

Definite questions on the thought and construction of the 



30 

themes should be asked by the teacher so as to draw out specific, 
helpful criticisms. Among the questions may be the following: 

Is the theme interesting? 

Does the writer stick to his subject? 

Can you point out any digressions? 

Can yon improve any sentence by expansion or contraction? 

For a story, appropriate questions are: 

Does the introduction give the time, the place and the persons? 
Does the interest increase up to the climax? 
Does the ending come soon enough? 
Are the conversations natural? 

On the basis of these criticisms, supplemented by questions 
relating to the mechanics of the theme — the spelling, punctua- 
tion, capitalization, etc. — the class may correct their own papers, 
preferably in the classroom with the teacher as referee. Papers 
may then be exchanged for verification or protest, and finally 
scanned by the teacher. 

In some schools a carefully organized system of student-mark- 
ing works well. Each student points out the errors on a class- 
mate's paper, adding a comment and a summarizing mark, and 
at the same time being sure to indicate any points of excellence. 
The author is then permitted to make the corrections indicated, 
or to challenge them. The papers of the entire class are next 
distributed among three or four of the best students for a similar 
treatment. Finally the teacher confirms, reverses or supplements 
these judgments. In this way the verdict of his classmates, 
usually more influential than that of his teacher, is made use of 
for the pupil's benefit. Unless, however, the teacher always has 
the last word, this should not be the chief method employed. 

As a rule only a few specified classes of errors should be noted 
on a single paper. When these have been overcome attention 
can be concentrated on others. The sight of many different 
marks of correction on his paper is apt to bewilder and discour- 
age the young writer. At the same time, obviously careless 
work should not be tolerated. 

The most eflfective manner of correcting papers is in personal 
conferences of teacher and pupil. These enable the teacher to 



31 

discover and remove the student's peculiar difficulties, to learn 
each individual's interests and to appreciate his point of view, 
and to utter the word of encouragement at the critical moment. 
At such conferences the earlier papers of the pupil should be at 
hand for comparison. For this purpose, and for occasional re- 
writing after a considerable interval of time and the acquisition 
of new ideas, the papers of each pupil should be filed in some 
systematic way. 

To facilitate correction, abbreviations and symbols may be em- 
ployed, but not to the exclusion of the summarizing comment, 
the specific word of praise or of direction. Signs should be used 
progressively, and must of course be fully understood by the 
pupil before they are employed by the teacher. After a little 
time the teacher will find that a pupil gains strength by simply 
having indicated for him that something needs correction, with 
the understanding that he should discover just what the defect is. 

Abbreviations for corrections. The following abbreviations 
have been found convenient: 

Ate. .. .Pronoun not in agreement N. S....Not a sentence; verb or 
with antecedent other essential word omitted 

B Barbarism O....Orait 

Cap. . . .Capital letter incorrectly used P. . . .Punctuation 

or omitted Rej Paper rejected without credit 

CI. . . .Not clear Rel. . . .Relative pronoun incorrectly 
Coh .... Not coherent used 

Cond Condense Rep. . . .Repetition 

Cts. .. .Construction faulty Sen.... Begin a new sentence 

D. . . .Diction faulty Sp Spelling 

Eng. . . .English not idiomatic T. . . .Tenses confused 

Exp .... Expand U.... Unity 

Fig. . . .Figure faulty Wk Weak 

Gr. . . .Grammar 1[. . . .Begin a new paragraph 

Hf High flown No H Do not begin a new para- 

K. . . .Awkward graph 

Kp....Out of keeping; in bad taste (-)... .Insert hyphen 

MS General appearance of paper X. .. .Obvious fault 

unsatisfactory 

It will be an advantage if a printed copy of these abbreviations 
and corrections is given to each pupil for use in understanding 
corrections. 



32 

Directions for written exercises. In order to facilitate the 
handling of papers, the following conventions may be established 
in each school. 

Paper. A uniform size of paper should be used for all formal 
written exercises, preferably sermon note (8" x 105^"). For other 
exercises a sheet half the size of sermon note will be found con- 
venient. Use pencil (or ink) for rough notes and for the small 
sheets. Write tests and other class exercises on both sides of 
all sheets except the last, turning the paper from right to left. 
Write home exercises on one side only. In all exercises leave a 
margin of one inch at the left and at the top. 

Folding and endorsement. Fold small sheets once lengthwise. 
Write on the back, beginning near the top at the edge and writ- 
ing toward the fold of the paper : 

1. Title of paper 

2. Name 

3. Class 

4. Date 

Do not fold sermon note. Use a blank sheet for a cover, and 
fasten with metal fasteners. Write the endorsement as before, 
beginning on the first line of the cover. 

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 

Grammar. On the basis of the instruction in formal grammar 
suggested in the monograph entitled The Teaching of Elementary 
Composition and Grammar, issued by this Department, the following 
topics embrace the grammatical knowledge a pupil needs upon 
entrance to the high school : 

1. Subject and predicate 

2. Classes of sentences according to meaning 

3. Parts of speech (without minute subdivisions) and their uses 

4. Noun, adjective and adverbial phrases and clauses 

5. Classification of sentences according to form 

6. Analysis of simple sentences containing not more than two phrases 

7. Analysis of compound sentences containing two simple clauses 

8. Analysis of complex sentences containing one dependent clause 



33 

g. Synthesis, or combination of two or three short sentences containing 
related ideas into one sentence of appropriate form 

10. Principal parts of verbs; to be studied not so much by lists as by drills 

in the use of the past tense and the participle in sentences 

11. Conjugation in the indicative mood, including verbals treated as parts 

of speech according to their use in the sentence 

12. Declension of the relative and personal pronoun 

A test of the pupil's knowledge of the above topics will be his 
ability to make use of them in speech and writing. 

In the secondary school the knowledge of technical grammar 
which the pupil brings with him should gradually be expanded 
through a study of his own composition and from the materials of 
literature read and studied, and this in turn should be used to 
clarify involved and obscure constructions. This training in 
applying the principles of grammar, particularly syntax, should 
be constant throughout the course, and should be given a definite 
place in the plan of work. (See outline by years.) 

As the pupils pass from the first year to the second, and from 
the second to the third, more and more accurate and logical 
thinking should be expected of them. Studying the functions of 
the elements of the sentence should help them to understand 
thought and to express it. On the other hand, practice in think- 
ing and expressing thought will react by throwing light on the 
significance of grammatical classification. 

By conferences between the teachers of foreign languages and 
the teachers of English, the common and fundamental gram- 
matical facts may be agreed upon, and, as far as possible, com- 
mon nomenclature used. Such conferences will be of great 
mutual help. 

Punctuation is best taught in practice, but certain fundamental 
rules should be brought out by the work in written expression. 

Spelling. The pamphlet entitled The Teaching of Spelling, 
although prepared primarily for the elementary grades, will be 
very suggestive for high school use. The fact is there empha- 
sized that systematic work in spelling should be a part of the 
work in Technical English for each year of the course. For 
pupils who are particularly deficient, some time should be taken 
for special help, particularly in methods of study. For such pupils 
special periods may be used. 



34 

Some teachers will prefer to use a high school spelling book, 
while in other schools words chosen from the written papers 
offered in the different subjects will furnish material for drill. 
It is suggested that not more than ten words be taken for 
mastery in a single lesson. Preferably this work should be a 
part of the recitation in English, not assigned to a separate period. 
When a special period is used, the time may be divided between 
writing and spelling, particularly in a commercial curriculum. 

Frequently lists of commonly mis-spelled words are furnished 
a school by business houses. These words are either from their 
own office experiences or from the letters of correspondents. 
Such words also add to a pupil's working written vocabulary. 

In connection with spelling, the pupil should be taught to use 
the dictionary. 

Word study. Word study as such, when prolonged, will come 
to have a deadening efifect upon a class. There are, however, 
many ways in which a teacher can develop in the pupil a feeling 
for good words and a desire to enlarge his vocabulary. 

In his S elf -Cultivation in English, Professor George Herbert 
Palmer says : "Literary endowment is supposed to be some- 
thing mysterious, innate to him who possesses it, and quite out 
of the reach of him who has it not." Professor Palmer goes on 
to say : "The very contrary is the fact. No human employment 
is more free than the winning of language." Says Webster: "To 
get a vocabulary is a person's business. He who has it can 
command him who has it not." 

In all probability the most effective way to study words is to 
do so collaterally. Take, for instance, the unfamiliar words of 
a literature lesson as a basis for systematic word study. On 
this point, in her study of composition of the first and second 
high school years. Professor Margaret Ashmun gives the follow- 
ing suggestions : 

Those pupils who are studying Latin may be pleased to see how an English 
word is related to the older language. Quite incidentally, striking derivations 
should be noted both in the literature and in the composition work, and root- 
words discussed. It will not be long until the students have acquired a rudi- 
mentary habit of looking into a word to see what it is made of. They should 
be frequently asked, in connection with all their English lessons, to use the 
dictionary with a view to getting the etymology of words. This will be of 



35 

especial value to those not studying Latin. Care must be exercised in the 
assignment of words; only those should be chosen in which the derivation is 
undisputed and reasonably apparent; such as subterranean, manuscript, 
benevolent, bovine, walrus, steward. 

A brief, but lively and picturesque, account of the development of the 
English language in connection with the history of the race will interest the 
children, and explain what may seem to them the unaccountable difficulties 
of our speech. The pupils should know the meaning of the term Old English 
and something of the nature of Old English words. A theme might properly 
be made the focus of this study of the history of the English language. 

A few common prefixes and suffixes, clearly understood and well learned, 
will be a distinct advantage to the pupils in all later word study. Most text- 
books furnish exercises of this t>T)e. 

The ability to divide a word into its component parts is of great assistance 
in spelling. Many of the most formidable looking words in the language are 
really easy to spell, if considered as combinations of etymological units. 

The repetition of words in themes will inevitably become a topic for dis- 
cussion. Synonyms and their values can thus be given a natural and profit- 
able consideration. For example : A class was writing a theme in which 
the word "house" was found to be constantly repeated. They were asked 
to suggest synonyms for "house"; "building," "edifice," "construction," 
"mansion," "palace," "cottage," "hovel," "hut," "cabin," "residence," "home," 
"shelter," "dwelling," "abiding-place," "abode," were some of the words 
proposed and discussed. It was found that, while certain terms were de- 
cidedly unsuitable, others might be substituted for the noun so often re- 
peated. The same idea may be constantly applied in theme writing, and 
cannot fail to have a perceptibly beneficial effect on the vocabularies of young 
people with a scanty stock of words. 

This study of synonyms can be made particularly valuable by correlation 
with literature lessons. Noting, in the reading, the skilful way in which the 
author of a classic has avoided the clumsy repetition of a word will give the 
students an insight into the methods that are actually used for producing 
agreeable effects. 

Reference books. The dictionary is justly regarded as an in- 
dispensable part of the equipment of a schoolroom, and it is of 
fundamental importance that high school teachers and pupils be 
familiar with its scope, plan and arrangement. The most suc- 
cessful teachers are generally those who consult the dictionary 
oftenest and with the greatest facility, and who teach their pupils 
the value of constant reference to this vast and handy storehouse 
of accurate information. Constant reference to a dictionary 
should become a habit among all pupils. 



36 

Definite instruction should be given regarding the plan of the 
book, the system of marking used as a guide to pronunciation, 
the various abbreviations and signs employed to economize space 
and time in reference. 

When an entire class is supplied with dictionaries, periodic 
dictionary drills in looking up words quickly and accurately will 
prove especially helpful. These drills will impress upon pupils 
the fact that the dictionary contains much about words which 
could not be found elsewhere without great labor and incon- 
venience. In addition to the spelling of a word, its pronuncia- 
tion, its accentuation, its syllabic division and its various uses, 
pupils should be taught to note its grammatical character, its 
history, its synonyms, and often its antonyms and its derivatives, 
together with related prefixes and suffixes. 

If the significance of such terms as obsolescent, obsolete, 'vulgar, 
colloquial, provincial, as applied to words, is carefully taught, dic- 
tionaries help pupils to determine whether a word is in good use. 
Many geographical, biographical and historical facts may be 
learned from the appendices and various chronological tables. 

A common tendency among pupils of all grades is to guess at 
meaning and pronunciation, when they should be taught how to 
be sure of the words they may wish to use. Frequent and in- 
telligent use of the dictionary will tend to check this tendency. 

Other books of reference, such as a thesaurus of English words 
and phrases, English snynonyms and antonyms, encyclopedias, 
familiar quotations, biographical dictionary and others which 
will be listed in the bibliography, should become familiar tools 
of high school classes in English. 

Rhetoric. Rhetoric as a division of Technical English analyzes 
discourse with a view to determining the principles of its struc- 
ture. Hence it follows that a knowledge of rhetoric is of value 
chiefly as it is related to the study of composition. Every lesson 
in written or oral expression should be a practical lesson in 
rhetoric. To be sure, every piece of good literature should, in- 
cidentally at least, illustrate its principles, but the purpose in 
studying literature is not to teach rhetoric. 

The teacher must be familiar with a good scientific treatise on 
the subject, but no textbook in formal and abstract rhetoric 



2>7 

should be in the hands of the pupil. Such fundamental rhetorical 
principles as are suitable for high school classes will be found 
in the recent texts on composition. 

Many teachers, on the other hand, will prefer to have a pupil 
construct his own text in rhetoric by recording in note-books the 
rhetorical principles inductively taught. This practice is highly 
commended. 

The textbook — its use and limitations. It is possible to teach 
composition, grammar and rhetoric without a textbook, but owing 
to the frequent change of teachers, and to difficulties in the or- 
ganization of schools, it is desirable for the sake of uniformity 
and continuity of work, to use a text during at least the first two 
years, and better still throughout the entire course. The text- 
book is helpful as a reference book and in its organization of 
material into lessons. To the textbook the teacher may send the 
pupil for a detailed statement of the principles of grammar and 
rhetoric after these subjects have been inductively taught in the 
classroom, either from the blackboard, from the pupil's themes 
or from the literature read. Again, the modern textbook in 
English contains many suggestions concerning subjects for 
themes, and also examples of the various forms of discourse. 

No teacher of experience would think of adhering strictly to 
the order of exercises in any one text, no matter how good it 
might be. Written for general use and for a variety of condi- 
tions, no text is exactly suited to the needs and demands of a 
particular class. Flence adaption, selection, rearrangement and 
modification of material and of treatment of the textbook must 
be made by the live teacher in accordance with classroom needs. 
On the other hand, the inexperienced teacher who feels puzzled 
and undecided as to just the plan and method to pursue will find 
many recent texts to guide him until he has experience and 
capacity to work out a plan of his own. 

It is unwise for a class to use two or three different texts during 
four years of work. The differences in point of view, organiza- 
tion of material, treatment and general character of selections 
can produce only confusion in the minds of pupils. Series are 
now arranged so that one book may be used the first two years, 
while a second book serves for the remainder of the course. 



38 



To quote Dr. W. G. Bleyer; 



It is generally conceded that textbooks in rhetoric and composition have 
very often been used to poor advantage by having pupils memorize the defi- 
nitions and statements of principles, and by devoting much of the period set 
aside for composition to recitation upon the subject matter of the textbook. 
The principles of rhetoric and composition, of course, have little value — ex- 
cept as the pupil is able to apply them in his own work or to recognize the 
application of them in the work of others. The real test of his knowledge 
of the subject matter of the textbook, therefore, is made not by having him 
recite what the book contains, but by requiring him to apply it in his own 
work and to perceive examples of it in the work of others. 



PART III 

LITERATURE 

In a preceding chapter it has been pointed out that the aims of 
English instruction are three, linguistic, cultural and ethical. 

The first of these aims has been treated under the divisions of 
Practical and Technical English, This section will deal with the 
aims of culture and ethical insight which are to be realized 
through a study of literature. 

Literature defined. A fundamental truth underlying literature, 
and one never to be lost sight of by its teacher, is that it is one 
of the fine arts and should not therefore be presented as a fact 
study. In other words, literature deals with truths artistically 
expressed, rather than with facts plainly stated. Its appeal is 
preeminently to the emotions, and like the kindred arts of music 
and painting, it should be presented in such a manner as to give 
delight, quicken the imagination, furnish insight into the meaning 
of life, and provide an avenue of escape from the stern realities 
of life. 

It should be remembered, however, that while emotion is the 
distinguishing and characteristic element of literature in its most 
representative forms, other factors, such as imagination, thought 
and beauty of form, enter in varying degrees. These elements 
we may study separately, but the total impression of a work of 
literature is always a composite of all four, and no one element 
can be fully appreciated without recognizing the concurrent in- 
fluence of the other three. 

Since literature deals so vitally with life and its meaning, mani- 
festly the two important elements in the interpretative process 
are: (i) the teacher, and (2) the character of the selections 
chosen for study. The teacher must be broad in his sympathies; 
he must have read widely and critically; his insight into life 
must be deep ; his knowledge of human nature should be keen 
and discriminating; he must have a sense of humor, and his own 

39 



40 

emotional nature must, above all, be ready to respond to the 
emotional quality of the selection chosen. Only as the teacher 
has himself drawn life from literature, can he communicate its 
life to his pupils. 

Further, as a practical matter, the teacher must have the desire 
and skill successfully to adapt his instruction to the interests of 
adolescents and to the stage of advancement at which he finds 
his pupils, rather than pitch his demands upon the class in ac- 
cordance with some ideal standard which, though theoretically 
attainable, is not in keeping with actual classroom possibilities. 

Whenever possible, this will mean dividing the class, particu- 
larly the entering class, into sections, upon the basis of previous 
preparation and present dififerences in taste and capacity. 

As to the selections chosen for reading, these should be clean 
in tone, within the comprehension of the high school pupil, of 
reasonable interest and of real literary merit. There should also 
be a considerable variety, both of prose and poetry, in order to 
meet the varying needs of successive classes, and also the vary- 
ing degree of preparation within any one class. All choices, 
however, should be based upon their power to appeal to adoles- 
cent boys and girls. 

In general, short selections should come before long ones, and 
experience has taught that in the first two years those books 
that give a vivid and dramatic portrayal of human life are most 
appreciated and enjoyed. Such novels as Scott's Ivanhoe and 
Dickens' Tale of Tivo Cities; such poems as Homer's Odyssey, 
Scott's Marmion and Macaulay's Lays of Ancient Rome and the 
Old English Ballads; such plays as Shakespeare's Julius Caesar — 
all these are illustrative of this type of selection. In the third 
and fourth years the selections should be more esthetic in their 
character, so that through them life may be presented more 
subtly and in more complexity. Among this latter class Hamlet and 
Macbeth stand preeminent. 

Experience has also taught that selections in which the nar- 
rative and descriptive elements enter in marked degree are best 
treated somewhat intensively in the first two years of school, 
expository and argumentative writings being reserved for later 
study. An added reason for this order is that during the same 



41 

period the corresponding types of discourse are treated on the 
constructive side of English work (composition) and these 
literary forms may be drawn upon for suggestions as to style and 
sequence of thought. 

To have the teaching of literature really effective, it is desirable 
that the classics studied in school should lead to further reading 
of the same sort in after life and furnish an open sesame to the 
entire field of literature. These same classics should also serve 
as "touchstones" in estimating the worth of contemporary cul- 
tural influences, such as those presented in current fiction, in 
the magazines, the literary reviews and the drama. These latter 
agencies should have a larger and more important part in the 
scheme of English instruction than has heretofore been allotted 
to them. Each year should see contemporary literature critic- 
ally handled in the classroom, and comparative merits and 
literary values pointed out. In order that their untrained tastes 
may undergo gradual refinement, pupils should be allowed some 
part in the choice of magazines and papers to be considered. 
(See page 19.) 

In addition, therefore, to the books and magazines to be studied 
in class, suggestions for collateral reading, to be done either in 
the classroom or outside of school hours, are given in connec- 
tion with the courses for the different years, and also in Appen- 
dix C. 

As a first step toward the appreciation of literature, a pupil 
must be able to understand the thoughts expressed upon the 
printed page. Notwithstanding his training in the elementary 
grades, the average pupil entering the high school needs addi- 
tional drill in thought getting, or reading. By reading is meant 
the intellectual grasp a pupil gets of what the writer says. This 
process involves putting one's self in the writer's place 
and seeing the subject as he sees it. It also involves an 
ability and a willingness to get the author's point of view. The 
second stage in reading, that of criticism and comparison with 
one's own point of view and knowledge of the subject under 
discussion, is developed later. It is the first part of the process 
with which we are here concerned. 

Too often after reading a paragraph, a pupil has but a hazy 



42 

general idea, either because he fails to grasp the meaning of each 
sentence, or because he is unable to combine the thoughts in the 
sentences into a larger whole and grasp their relation to the 
main topic. Much training and practice are necessary before a 
pupil can easily follow a train of thought from sentence to sen- 
tence and comprehend the paragraph, essay or story as a whole. 
Concerning the importance of reading, Lowell says : 

Reading is the key which admits us to the whole world of thought and 
fancy and imagination, to the company of saint and sage, of the wisest and 
wittiest at their wisest and wittiest moments. It enables us to see with 
the keenest eyes, to hear with the finest ears, and to listen to the sweetest 
voices of all time. 

The ability to read understandingly, then, is an accomplish- 
ment worthy of the most persistent efifort and drill. 

For the development of skill in thought getting, simple selec- 
tions should be chosen in which there is an absence of the emo- 
tional element : for example, a page from the science text, a 
paragraph from history, a portion of an address or an editorial 
abstract from a daily paper or a theorem in geometry. The 
extract should be given critical study, in order to get at its full 
significance. The reading should in general be of the same char- 
acter as that done by a lawyer working up his case, by a mechanic 
studying his directions for operating a machine or by a cook 
following a recipe. The problem is to master the language and 
to "husk the thought," or, in other words, to determine exactly 
what the writer means. 

The following selection from the writings of Cardinal Newman 
is illustrative of the type that may be selected for drill in thought 
getting: 

I shall, then, merely sum up what I have said, and come to a conclusion. 
Reverting, then, to my original question, what is the meaning of Letters, as 
contained, Gentlemen, in the designation of your Faculty, I have answered, 
that by Letters or Literature is meant the expression of thought in language 
where by "thought" I mean the ideas, feeling, views, reasonings, and other 
operations of the human mind. And the Art of Letters is the method by 
which a speaker or writer brings out in words, worthy of his subject, and 
sufficient for his audience or readers, the thoughts which impress him. 



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43 

Literature, then, is of a personal character; it consists in the enunciations 
and teachings of those who have a right to speak as representatives of their 
kind, and in whose words their brethren find an interpretation of their own 
sentiments, a record of their own experience, and a suggestion for their own 
judgments. A great author, Gentlemen, is not one who merely has a copia 
verbonim, whether in prose or verse, and can, as it were, turn on at his will 
any number of splendid phrases and swelling sentences; but he is one who 
has something to say and knows how to say it. I do not claim for him, as 
such, any great depth of thought, or breadth of view, or philosophy, or 
sagacity, or knowledge of human nature, or experience of human life, though 
these additional gifts he may have, and the more he has of them the greater 
he is; but I ascribe to him as his characteristic gift, in a large sense, the 
faculty of Expression. He is master of the twofold Logos, the thought 
and the word, distinct, but inseparable from each other. He may, if so be, 
elaborate his compositions, or he may pour out his improvisations, but in 
either case he has but one aim, which he keeps steadily before him, and is 
conscientious and single-minded in fulfilling. That aim is to give forth 
what he has within him ; and from his very earnestness it comes to pass that, 
whatever be the splendor of his diction or the harmony of his periods, he 
has with him the charm of an incommunicable simplicity. Whatever be his 
subject, high or low, he treats it suitably and for its own sake. 

It is through such reading that the pupil gains power to in- 
terpret the printed page and to master books. He should not 
make the mistake of thinking that reading in this limited sense 
is studying literature. It is not. It is merely the first step 
toward appreciative and pleasurable reading. Moreover, it is 
evident that the only way to teach a pupil to understand the 
expressed thoughts of others is to have him understand the 
units of that expression, the word, the sentence, and the para- 
graph. 

Hence, it is with the selections in which the thought element 
predominates that the principles of grammar may best be illus- 
trated. The pupil should be trained to note the form in which 
the principal statement is expressed, and the way in which its 
meaning is modified by the various subordinate elements. He 
should see the thought gradually qualified and related to the 
larger thought of the paragraph. He should be helped to notice 
the significance of punctuation in its function of helping to make 
the expression of the thought clear and forceful. The meaning 
of words, allusions, etc., must be clearly understood. The in- 
telligent use of the dictionary and the usual books of reference 



44 

should, therefore, be taught during the early years of the high 
school course. (See Reference books, page 35.) 

Whenever the history or origin of a word is helpful for a better 
understanding of its meaning, the pupil should be encouraged to 
observe in the dictionary the derivation of words as he looks for 
their meaning. Extensive drill of this sort is recommended in a 
narrow and special field of reading, wherein knowledge is the 
chief end. The practice has the additional advantage of enlarg- 
ing a pupil's vocabulary. 

Teachers are warned, however, against the danger of over- 
emphasizing the "looking up" habit when studying literature. 
Important as it is that a pupil's vocabulary should grow, and 
that he should overcome shiftless reading habits, many things 
may well go unchallenged, particularly in the earlier years, lest 
interest be deadened. While one teacher may save himself labor 
by making the study of literature analytical and largely a problem 
of looking up references, another teacher may so over-estimate 
the value of class enthusiasm as to create a habit of guessing at 
everything. 

The amount and character of this formal drill in each assign- 
ment should be carefully determined by the teacher in his prep- 
aration for the day's recitation. The instructor must be again 
warned to be constantly on his guard lest the reading lesson (in 
literature) be merely a drill in sentence and paragraph structure, 
for nothing kills a pupil's interest in reading more than too much 
analytical drill upon grammatical and rhetorical detail. 

On the other hand, when exercises of this character are limited 
to content material as distinguished from that of marked emo- 
tional interest, and when they are skilfully handled, the careful 
analysis of thought will develop habits of critical reading that 
will be of the greatest value when applied to the interpretation 
of literature. 

Turning now to the second class of reading, that which may 
be regarded more strictly as literature, and which includes the 
poem, the story, the essay and the drama, we find that diflferent 
methods of study should be pursued. The emotional and imag- 
inative elements predominate in this type of reading, and the 
immediate aim is to give pleasure and to set ethical standards. 



45 

As an outcome of intensive and analytical study in which the 
appeal has been made to his understanding, the pupil will have 
acquired habits of thought and methods of analysis which should 
now serve as keys to unlock the emotional pleasures of litera- 
ture. It is, however, exceedingly important that the plan of 
work be kept simple and definite. Too often the study of litera- 
ture becomes a burden to teacher and pupil, because the work 
attempted is too difficult for immature minds, or because the 
pupil fails to see what is expected of him, or finally, the selection 
may be chosen without regard to his particular liking. When 
preparing a lesson he really needs a teacher quite as much as he 
needs one at the time of recitation. 

Preparation of class for literature lesson. The effectiveness of 
literary study may be marred by approaching a masterpiece too 
abruptly, or by failing to place emphasis where it belongs. At 
the beginning of the first year, and probably throughout the first 
two years, in assigning the lessons in literature the teacher should 
indicate clearly to the class what they are to do, and as far as 
possible, how they are to do it. Failure of the pupils to under- 
stand clearly what is desired of them is the cause of many a 
poorly prepared recitation in English. When dealing with ob- 
jective literature, as narration, exposition or argumentation, it 
is a good plan to put upon the blackboard or have prepared upon 
mimeographed sheets a list of questions and suggestions based 
upon the assignment, so that the pupils may have a number of 
definite points to consider in preparing the lesson. The atten- 
tion of pupils should be directed to those elements that give the 
selection value as literature — subject matter, its vividness in in- 
terpreting life, logical structure, literary form and style — and 
but slightly to the incidental matters of mythological and his- 
torical allusion and the like. A danger consists in treating these 
latter elements with too great detail and as so much additional 
matter to be learned in the expectation that it will be called for 
in an examination. 

Again, when studying purely subjective literature, as, for ex- 
ample, lyric poetry, the preparatory steps should consist in lead- 
ing the pupils to recall or recombine their own experiences in 
such a way as to approximate, as nearly as possible, the expe- 



46 

riences of the poet. As additional helps the teacher should use 
photographs of persons and places, biographical incidents 
relating to the poet and any material which will add to the vivid- 
ness of the conditions under which the poem was written. Unless 
the poet's experiences and the conditions which gave rise to 
them can in some way be brought out and made vivid it is quite 
useless to attempt to study the poem. In other words, the 
teacher should attempt to build up out of the pupil's own life 
experiences a background of thought and emotion upon which 
to project the poet's images and experiences. The method in- 
volves personal tact, skilful and suggestive questioning and 
carefully elicited reminiscence. But above all, there should be 
present the condition wherein the harmony existing between the 
teacher and the author's thought and emotion may become con- 
tagious among the pupils. The teacher is striving to kindle in 
his pupils an appreciation of the power and beauty of a great 
poem. His aim is the development of appreciation, not the mere 
acquisition of knowledge. 

The following suggestions concerning methods of study are 
the results of successful classroom experience and are given in 
the hope that teachers of limited experience may find in them 
something of immediate value. It would be unwise to attempt 
to indicate which plan of procedure should predominate at any 
given point in the course. Throughout the four years each may 
find a place, depending upon the proficiency of the class, the kind 
of selection to be read and the time at a teacher's command. 

Reading aloud. The simplest and most effective way of study- 
ing a classic, yet requiring the highest degree of skill on the part 
of the teacher, is to have the selection read aloud, the voice in- 
terpreting the author's thought and emotion. To be profitable 
such reading must, of course, be intelligent reading. Merely 
articulating the words is not enough. The pupil must make not 
only an intellectual effort to grasp the meaning and make its 
full sense clear to the listener, but also an emotional effort to 
catch and reproduce the author's feeling. It follows, therefore, 
that if we expect boys and girls to read expressively and with 
understanding, three conditions must be met: (i) there must 
be careful choice of material, (2) pupils must be shown by 



47 

example and precept how to read, and (3) pupils must have 
studied the selection in order to be able to criticise the rendering. 

Professor Hiram Corson suggests in his book The Voice and 
Spiritual Culture, that examinations in literature, particularly poetry, 
should be tests in appreciative reading rather than questions on 
the details of a poem. Examinations as to facts only are not 
tests of the pupil's literary capacity or of his susceptibility to 
the poem as a poem. Schools may gain considerable pleasure 
and profit in the employment from time to time of a professional 
reader, whose interpretation of literary masterpieces will supple- 
ment and reinforce the class work of the regular English teacher. 
If necessary, several schools may combine to share the expense. 

Talking about a selection. The simple question and answer 
method is as good as it is ancient, provided the questions are 
asked not for the purpose of exposing ignorance but to stimulate 
thought and to induce the pupils to exercise judgment and taste. 
Questions and answers may gradually give place, as the course 
progresses, to free, informal discussion. The teacher, retiring 
by degrees, in the last year becomes little more than a listener, 
directing without seeming to do so, the class assuming some- 
what the nature of a club. The advantages of this method are 
obvious. Sentimentality, the bane of English study, will not 
flourish under it. The pupils themselves determine what is 
within range. Through general cooperation, attention being 
focussed on the same point, and free expression being given to 
ideas, more is brought to light than by a dialog between teacher 
and pupil. Above all, experience proves that through general 
discussion interest is created. The interchange of views may 
have to do with the truth of the selection or with its art ; it may 
involve a comparison of two classics ; it may at times take the 
form of a debate, or an oral or written report submitted by some 
member of the class; or sometimes there may be the presenta- 
tion of a formal class program, occupying an entire recitation 
period. 

Teachers must constantly be on their guard lest a recitation 
of this type degenerate into an aimless, rambling and discon- 
nected discussion, which may be interesting, but which does not 
crystallize as a definite conclusion in the mind of the pupil. To 



48 

counteract this tendency, let the teacher, before the recitation, 
formulate a backbone of five or six thought-producing questions 
with definite relation to the points to be brought out; then let 
there be a general discussion of these points. 

Memorizing. This should not be done for the sole purpose of 
training the memory to be exact, though such a motive is w^orthy, 
but with a view to storing the mind with choice passages which 
may serve to extend the author's influence indefinitely. There 
are those who believe that there should be more memorizing of 
choice selections, both of prose and poetry, in the study of litera- 
ture. Selections such as Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and 
portions of his "Second Inaugural," St. Paul's "Tribute to Love," 
Wordsworth's "Ode to Duty" and many more selections which 
seem the perfect expression of a great thought, should be a 
part of the literary possession of every pupil in the high school. 
Passages of this character will help to enrich a pupil's vocabulary 
and aid in his appreciation of form. There is also a strong ethical 
value in passages which are particularly melodious and dramatic 
in quality. 

Pupils should be given an opportunity to make their own se- 
lections and thus show their individuality, for what appeals to 
one may not appeal to another. In four years time a teacher 
should be able to see in the passages chosen for memorizing a 
growth in the pupils' keenness of discrimination and in their 
capacity for appreciation. It may be pointed out that in youth 
the memory is tenacious and quotations learned then are usually 
remembered. Lines which appeal but slightly to the pupil now 
may reveal their full beauty and force of meaning in coming 
years. 

Reproducing in one's own language. This is a simple retelling, 
either oral or written, of what the author says. Exercises of this 
character are of value when applied to the appropriate kind of 
literature, such as exposition or argumentation, since they train 
the mind to discover logical sequences and to separate the vital 
from the less important In such a reproduction of the author's 
thought the pupil, while using some of the author's terms and 
idioms, still makes combinations of his own choosing and thereby 
gives evidence that he has caught the author's meaning. 



49 

Plan for studying a novel — Silas Marner. A Connecticut Edu- 
cational document suggests the following method of studying a 
novel. 

Some time before the romance is to be taken up in class, assign 
it to be read at home, in a natural manner, for pleasure. This 
allows time for assimilation and gives the author a fair chance 
to exert her influence upon the mind when it is in a normal and 
not too critical state. 

Immediately prior to the more careful study distribute type- 
written sheets containing a few — at most half a dozen — simple 
questions on each chapter, designed to uncover here and there 
things which might otherwise be overlooked : bits of beauty or 
strength, a simple problem in ethics or in the art of story telling, 
a parallel between Silas Marner and some other work previously 
read. The questions should be prefaced with a few general sug- 
gestions as to the method of studying the romance. Urge the 
class to try to find in each chapter something to admire, either 
in the author's view or in her art; to determine what each chapter 
does toward making the story complete. 

The recitations themselves should not occupy more than 
twelve or fifteen periods. Read at the rate of three chapters a 
day, letting the average lesson take the following form : 

To each of three members, selected by the class as leaders, 
assign a chapter for special study. Number one, being called 
upon, sketches the contents of his chapter and adds whatever he 
pleases concerning his observations during his study. He is 
guided in this somewhat by the questions, but is at liberty to 
disregard them. Following his recitation, which has taken per- 
haps five minutes, comes general discussion by the class, different 
members having noted things which have escaped their leader, 
or they perhaps decline to accept statements he has made. The 
teacher remains in the background, occasionally checking un- 
profitable lines of discussion, drawing the inert into action by 
throwing out an opportune question, and seeing that chapters 
two and three receive their share of time. 

Here is what one class made out of chapter XVI, the first in 
part two. The typewritten suggestions on this chapter were 
as follows: 



so 

What advantage in opening part second with a church scene? 
Give Dolly's way of justifying the outcome of the "trial by lot." 
Show that in Eppie's garden the entire story is symbolized. 
Find one or two good memory passages. 

The chapter bridges a gap of sixteen years, gives Dolly Winthrop's final 
dictum as to why God permits the innocent to suffer, tells of a wonderful 
little garden at Marner's cottage and ends with Eppie's confession of love 
for Aaron. It begins with a church scene, the peaceful Sunday perhaps 
intended as the promise of a happy conclusion after the storm of part one, 
possibly designed to show that Marner, through Eppie, has been brought 
back into fellowship with others. At any rate, it is a clever device for bring- 
ing all the characters together and making them pass in review before the 
reader, after a lapse of many years. For this reason it was better to open 
part two at the church than at the tavern, or the Red House or the Stone-pit. 
No decision reached as to whether Dolly's solution is correct; probably it 
voices George Eliot's own view; perhaps too clever for an ignorant woman. 
Author fond, perhaps inordinately, of weaving mighty truths into simple 
tales. Scene at Eppie's garden closely related to the churchyard scene; sup- 
plements it. Action of the story not advanced by it, though coming happi- 
ness is perhaps suggested. It is another device for refreshing the reader's 
memory, since it symbolizes the entire story, showing how many influences 
have been at work. The furze bush stands for Eppie's mother, lavender from 
the Red House suggests Eppie's proud father and Nancy. The other flowers, 
simple things, typify the wholesome influence of Dolly and Aaron, perhaps. 
The stone wall about it comes from the stone-pits, at the bottom of which 
is Marner's lost wealth. The author's skill in handling conversation is noted, 
particularly the talk of women; also her custom of warning the reader of 
impending disaster, rousing curiosity, yet preventing too sudden surprises. 

The story gone through in this fashion, the program being 
varied occasionally by introducing written work and oral reading, 
an hour or two should be taken for considering the romance as a 
whole, reviewing it under the general heads of setting, char- 
acters, plot, underlying truths, etc. The net result of such a 
study should be not only the pleasure gained, but also a desire 
awakened to read more of the works of George Eliot. 

Study of poetry. The following suggestions regarding the 
study of poetry have been found helpful. 

I. Fully to appreciate poetry one must hear it read aloud, in 
such a manner that the melody and the emotional qualities are 
brought out. Naturally, few pupils of high school age are able 
to enter into the emotion of strong poetry or to feel the beauty 



SI 

of its rhythm. It follows that much of the reading, therefore, 
should be done by the teacher, especially if he reads well. 

2. The beauty and force of a poem often lies in its figurative 
expressions, the poet conveying his thought and emotion more 
perfectly by means of associated ideas. Rhetorical figures withift 
the comprehension of the pupil should, therefore, be studiedj 
which does not mean simply to locate and name them. Their 
force and beauty must be felt. - 

3. The simpler mechanics of versification present few difficul- 
ties. The names of metrical feet and lines, the terms applied to 
rhyming schemes, etc., may well be taught early in the course. 
No doubt increasing attention should be paid to such matters as 
the course progresses ; yet here again the mere ability to name a 
metrical scheme is of secondary importance, and there is danger 
of deadening interest through putting too much stress upon such 
matters. 

It is probably true that instruction in verse form will best be 
given in connection with the study of individual poems. Pupils 
will in this way be led to see that verse form is not something 
extraneous but vital. They will gradually appreciate the beauty 
and fitness of the particular form of versification employed, as 
being the most perfect emotional accompaniment of the poet's 
thought. 

The matter of requiring pupils to produce verse is one which 
must be handled cautiously. Occasionally a pupil will be found 
who should be encouraged to express himself thus. The school 
paper or the literary society is always a medium for such ex- 
pression, and again, in some schools pupils have written jingles 
which have been sold to advertising concerns. From such be- 
ginnings as these have grown some very creditable results !n 
versification. 

4. Whenever possible, an entire poem should be considered in 
a single recitation. It is better to return to it many times, letting 
a week or even a month intervene between readings, than to give 
a single intensive reading. This is especially true of lyrics, which^ 
like songs set to music, grow in beauty through frequent repeti- 
tion. 

5. The average high school pupil does not know how to talk 



52 

about poetry. Even though it appeals to him, he does not enjoy 
making known his emotions. To insist too severely upon the 
pupil's pointing out in a poem what he likes and what he dislikes, 
giving in each case a reason for his preference, is unwise. Silence 
is sometimes a good sign, volubility a bad sign. Insincerity is 
easily encouraged. This is particularly true in large, mixed 
classes. 

The wise teacher will ever be on his guard, as he watches the 
effect of poetical study upon his pupils, that its outcome may be 
one of added interest rather than ennui. 

6. Memorizing passages is one of the very best methods of 
getting poetry to sing its way into the reader's heart. It should 
usually follow a brief study of the poem, but it is by no means a 
foolish thing occasionally to let a poem take its chances without 
the teacher's intermeddling. Plant the seed and trust to nature 
to take care of it. 

Study of a play. Mr. G. S. Blakely in writing on the teaching 
of the drama gives some practical suggestions. His plan is sub- 
stantially as follows: 

T. Preparation. The presentation of a few matters to arouse in- 
terest and to anticipate some of the difficulties of a first reading. 

II. First reading. The aim of the first reading is to familiarize 
the pupil with the main facts of the play. General questions may be 
asked to guide the pupil, or directions given to note the progress of 
each scene in the development of the play. The story, the characters, 
the moral problems here and there, provide material for lively dis- 
cussion. The pupil should not be hindered, however, from as rapid 
a reading as he can make intelligently. 

III. Second reading. This careful reading will have for its pur- 
pose a fuller interpretation of the author's thought. Other matters, 
however interesting to a literary scholar, should, for the most part, 
be avoided. In this thorough study many of the matters treated 
under the next topic will naturally come up for discussion. 

IV. Study of the play as a whole. Here it will be possible to sum 
up the work already done and to correlate it with new work in some 
such order as the following: 



53 

I. Content 

A. Setting 

B. Plot 

C. Characters 
II. Form 

A. Meter 

B. Style 

III. Life and character of the author 

Library. The school should prepare the pupils in a practical 
way to use the library. The available libraries should have lists 
of books for school reading; written lists of new books as re- 
ceived ; lists of books appropriate to any particular event. These 
lists should be posted in the schoolroom. 

Teachers should take classes to the library and show them how 
to use the card catalog, how to find the books on the shelves, 
how to use bound magazines. 

Instruct pupils in the use of encyclopedias, so that they will 
not, for example, search for an American subject in the Encyclo- 
pedia Britannica. Help them to get a correct idea of the general 
character and distinctive features of each of the principal en- 
cyclopedias. 

See that the pupils know the difference between a table of 
contents and an index ; that they know what a concordance is ; 
that they know that a dictionary has many other uses besides 
that of supplying definitions. If a pupil gets information from 
some book, make sure that he can give the title and author. It 
is a common experience to find a student incapable of naming an 
authority he blindly quotes. 

We can stimulate our pupils to use the library for research 
work by giving them topics to investigate and calling for reports 
on different authors. History offers incentives for this kind of 
work. The pupil should know how to look up a subject in the 
library ; what books are likely to answer his questions ; where 
to look for aid in his selected books. He will then know how to 
use a library intelligently in later years without having to ask 
guidance at every step. The untrained worker loses himself and 
finds nothing. 



PART IV 

COURSE OF STUDY IN OUTLINE 
INTRODUCTORY 

Literature. Some of the selections are to be carefully studied, 
others thoughtfully read. For class work, the reading list is, in 
general, based upon the College Entrance Requirements of 191 5- 
IQ19. Supplemental lists are prepared to guide the pupil in his 
outside reading, but a teacher should feel free to make use of 
such books as will best meet the needs of his class. The books 
named are only suggested. In the arrangement of the reading 
suggested for the last year of the course, alternative plans are 
offered. 

Scheme A is primarily outlined to meet the requirements for 
entrance into higher institutions. The purpose of Scheme B is 
to suggest a wide range of reading in order that a pupil may 
discover his own special interests in the field of literature. In- 
cidentally some knowledge may be gained of the chief divisions 
and of the leading writers in the development of English Litera- 
ture. 

Conditions within the school, together with the interest and 
judgment of the teacher, should be the guide. The dominant 
aim of the teacher throughout should be to cultivate in the pupil 
the habit of intelligent reading and a taste for good literature. 

Practical English. The work in expression is of two kinds, 
oral and written. Inasmuch as the pupil's English is far more 
frequently employed in oral than in written expression, syste- 
matic work in oral composition should constantly be emphasized. 
Just how far facility in oral expression will react to help written 
expression has probably not been determined by teachers of 
English. Between the two there is undoubtedly a marked dif- 
ference in quality, but each has its place in the plan of instruction. 

55 



56 

The written composition, however, is the medium that makes 
especially for accuracy of form as well as for accuracy of ex- 
pression. There should be a definite aim not only in each grade 
but in each lesson, the work in rhetoric being made concurrent 
with that of composition. * 

Subjects for themes may be drawn in part from the literature 
read, but originality and vitality of expression can best be secured 
by requiring the pupil to write of his own observations and ex- 
periences. Letter writing should be continued throughout the 
course. Criticism of themes should not be such as to repress 
freedom of expression. 

Technical English. The study of grammar is to be continued 
consecutively throughout the course, primarily for the purpose 
of establishing standards for self-criticism but also to develop 
in the pupil the ability to understand the common grammatical 
relations of the sentence as found in the prose and verse of 
standard English literature. 

The exercises in spelling should be both oral and written. In 
the former, attention should be directed toward proper pronuncia- 
tion of words, division of words into syllables and pronunciation 
of syllables. Lessons in the textbook should be supplemented by 
misspelled words occuring in the general written work of the 
pupil — tests, compositions, etc. 



FIRST YEAR 

First Half 

LITERATURE 

The general aim of the first year work is to arouse an interest 
in good literature, particularly in the appreciation of narrative 
prose and such poetry as appeals to pupils of first year age. The 
collateral reading of the pupils, suggested and guided by the 
teacher, should be varied in order to multiply the pupil's interests 
and develop his latent tastes. Some books may treat of chivalry. 



* For a discussion of this topic the teacher should consult the English Journal, 
Vol. Ill, No. 6, June 1914. 



57 

others of romance or of history and others again of myths and 
medieval legends. 

Teachers should find out what has been previously read by the class and 
should substitute, if necessary, in the recommended, the optional or the 
suggested list, books that are not feuniliar, so that they may make a fresh 
appeal to the pupils. 

Recommended for classroom work 

Ivanhoe — Scott 

Treasure Island — Stevenson 

Optional or additional 

As You Like It — Shakespeare 
Autobiography — Franklin 
Lays of Ancient Rome — Macaulay 
Selections from Lincoln 

Suggested for collateral reading 

Selections from Irving's Sketch Book 

Our Old Home — Hawthorne 

Homer's "Odyssey" — Bryant 

Tales of a Wayside Inn — Longfellow 

Enoch Arden — Tennyson 

The Story of the Golden Age — Baldwin 

The Story of Siegfried — Ragozin 

Prince and Pauper — Clemens 

Jungle Book — Kipling 

Roman Life in the Days of Cicero — Church 

Lives of Caesar and Brutus — Plutarch 

Gold Bug — Poe 

Chivalric Days — Adams 

Robinson Crusoe — Defoe 

The Man Without a Countr}^ — Hale 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The first purpose in practical instruction in oral and written 
composition is to secure free and natural expression, with some 
degree of accuracy. To this end constant short exercises should 



58 

be requiredj and exceedingly few long or elaborate essays. 
Themes of a few paragraphs will be more frequent as the course 
proceeds. The written work should, throughout, be carefully 
corrected by the teacher in the external matters of concord, 
spelling, punctuation and capitalization. The criticism, however, 
should be directed chiefly to the internal matters of structure 
and thought, and correctness in the use of words. The practical 
work should comprise : 

1. Letter writing, with attention to form as well as to sub- 
stance. 

2. Frequent short themes, both oral and written, based for the 
most part on the experience of the pupil. No technical dis- 
tinction should be emphasized in this year between the 
various forms of discourse, but a large proportion of the 
paragraphs should be narrative. 

3. Elementary study of the principles of unity and coherence 
in the whole composition. 

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 

Grammar 

1. Teach the uses of the infinitive, the gerund and the par- 
ticiple ; uses of may, can, shall and will. 

2. Review function and classification of phrases and clauses. 
Exercises in textbook should be supplemented from other 
sources. 

3. Review as found necessary, inflection of nouns and pro- 
nouns; agreement of pronoun with antecedent; distinction 
between transitive and intransitive verb, between active and 
passive voice; tense forms; agreement of verb with subject. 

4. Frequent analysis of sentences and continued practice in 
the recognition of parts of speech. 

5. Attention to common errors in the pupil's recitation and in 
his written work. 

6. Dictation exercises embodying the use of commas, quota- 
tion marks and terminal marks of punctuation. Attention 
to capitalization. 



59 

FIRST YEAR 

Second Half 

LITERATURE 

Recommended for classroom work 

Lady of the Lake or Marmion — Scott 
Vision of Sir Launfal — Lowell 

Optional or additional 

Sohrab and Rustum and The Forsaken Merman — Arnold 

Quentin Durward — Scott 

Pilgrim's Progress (Part I) — Bunyan 

Selections from the Old Testament 

Suggested for collateral reading 

Talisman — Scott 

Old English Ballads 

Black Arrow — Stevenson 

Kidnapped — Stevenson 

Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes — Stevenson 

Bits of Travel Abroad— H. H. 

Bits of Travel at Home — H. H. 

Short Stories — Mary Wilkins Freeman 

Yesterdays with Authors — ^J. T. Field 

James R. Lowell — E. E. Hale 

Views Afoot — B. Taylor 

Midsummer Night's Dream — Shakespeare 

The Boy's King Arthur — Sidney Lanier 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The practice in narration should be continued, but chief em- 
phasis should be laid upon description and in connection there- 
with the use of figures discussed. The subjects chosen should 
be simple in character, relating to what the student has seen in 
fact, in every-day life or in imagination, such as imaginary 



6o 

descriptions of scenes or characters from Ivanhoe, Sir Launfal 
or other books read. The work should comprise : 

1. Letter writing, business and friendly. 

2. Short compositions, both oral and written, based for the 
most part on the experience of the pupil. The work of nar- 
ration continued and simple description begun. 

3. Elementary study of the paragraph ; development of para- 
graph by giving specific instances and by giving details ; the 
use of the topic sentence. 

4. The study of synonyms and antonyms. 

5. Occasional essays of several paragraphs, where the theme 
may be conceived as a whole. 

TECHNICAL ENGUSH 

Grammar. Case relations ; inflection of nouns and pronouns ; 
practice in the conversion of direct into indirect discourse, and 
vice versa; analysis of sentences containing at least three clauses. 

Spelling, Spell 500 words chosen for the year. Proper syllab- 
ication should be insisted upon. 

Rhetoric. Simple figures of speech, simile, metaphor and per- 
sonification. 

EXARiPLES OF FIRST YEAR COMPOSITIONS 

The following examples of what has been done during the first 
year in the schools of New Jersey are offered as suggesting at- 
tainable results. 

The selections were taken from the daily work of the pupils 
and are not the results of special preparation. They are repro- 
duced with the pupils' errors. The aim, it is seen, is to express 
in simple English such narrative and descriptive matter as 
properly belongs to pupils of this grade. 

The Abandoned Mill 

Situated on the outskirts of the city is an old rookery of a building. The 
window glasses were smashed in and the staircase on the outside of the 
building was badly upset. I was informed that this was an old flour mill. 



6i 

Then I thought what that old place was like in its prosperity. How many 
men had gone there every day with lunch cans under their arms ! How 
many families were kept happy and peaceful because of its existence! There 
was no need of sustaining the old mill any longer. The hard workers had 
died and left their descendants wealthy. Pieces of machinery were scattered 
through the inside. This made me think that the old place was just as 
up-to-date in its time, as our handsome factories are today. On the walls 
initials had been scraped which dated back many years and no doubt told 
many stories. In the corner, there was a partition which looked to be the 
manager's office. Much business, both good and bad was conducted here. 
Just then I heard the train whistle which woke me up from my day dreams. 

How to Float 

To float is very easy, but some people are afraid to try it. Still water is 
the best to learn in, although it is more fun in rough. In the first place it 
is necessary to have confidence in yourself, and not to be afraid of the water. 
Then lie right down on the water, as though you were gomg to sleep. Put 
your arms out, horizontal with your shoulders, and your legs straight out, 
on a line with the rest of your body. Throw your chest up, and your head 
back, so that your ears and forehead are under water. Lie perfectly still, 
and it is impossible to sink; now you are floating. 



SECOND YEAR 

First Half 

LITERATURE 

The general aim of the second year work should be to de- 
velop an appreciation of varied, forceful and suggestive diction 
and to discriminate among the different literary types, the drama, 
the novel, the essay, etc. 

Teachers should find out what has been previously read by the class 
and should substitute, if necessary, in the recommended, the optional or 
the suggested list, books that are not familiar, so that they may make a 
fresh appeal to the pupils. 

Recommended for classroom work 

Merchant of Venice — Shakespeare 
Silas Marner — Eliot 



62 

Optional or additional 

Twelfth Night — Shakespeare 

Twice Told Tales — Hawthorne 

Selections from American Poetry, with special attention to 

Poe, Lowell, Longfellow and Whittier 
Childe Harold (Canto HI or Canto IV) and Prisoner of 

Chillon — Byron 

Suggested for collateral reading 
Judith Shakespeare — Black 
Mill on the Floss — George Eliot 
Shirley — C. Bronte 

Life of Charlotte Bronte — Mrs. Gaskell 
David Copperfield — Dickens 
Venetian Life — Howells 
Kenilworth — Scott 
Old Chester Tales — Deland 
A Window in Thrums — Barrie 
Old Creole Days — Cable 

The Prophet of the Great Smoky Mountain — Murfree 
Short Stories — Mary H. Foote 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The general purpose of the second year work is to concen- 
trate upon the sentence and paragraph structure. Rhetorical 
principles growing out of the composition work are treated here 
rather than separately. The work of this half year should 
comprise : 

1. Letter writing; simple business forms. 

2. Short themes, both oral and written, based for the most 
part on the experience of the pupil. Narration and descrip- 
tion continued; description in narration. 

3. Unity, coherence and emphasis in the sentence; variety in 
sentence structure ; choice of words — specific, generic ; figures 
of speech continued — metonymy, synecdoche, hyperbole, 
alliteration. 

4. Dictation exercises as in preceding grade, together with use 
of semicolon. 



63 

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 

Grammar. Uses of phrases and clauses ; agreement of pro- 
noun with antecedent and of verb with subject; analysis of sen- 
tences. 

SECOND YEAR 

Second Half 

LITERATURE 

Recommended for classroom work 
Sir Roger de Coverley — Addison 
Deserted Village — Goldsmith 

Optional or additional 

Vicar of Wakefield — Goldsmith 

Rape of the Lock — Pope 

House of Seven Gables — Hawthorne 

Suggested for outside reading 
Last of the Mohicans — Cooper 
Richard Carvel — Churchill 
Life of Hawthorne — Julian Hawthorne 
Autobiography — Scott 
Tales of a Wayside Inn — Longfellow 
Outre-Mer — Longfellow 

English Lands, Letters and Kings — Mitchell 
Voyage of the Sunbeam — Brassey 
Life of Goldsmith — Irving 
Lights of Two Centuries — Hale 
The Refugees — Doyle 
The Cloister and the Hearth — Reade 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The work in narration and description is continued. Elemen- 
tary study of exposition as it may grow out of simple oral and 
written explanatory themes. In general the work will comprise : 



64 

1. Letter-writing ; business forms. 

2. Short themes, of various types, both oral and written, with 
the emphasis on exposition. 

3. Development of the paragraph by comparison, by stating 
cause and effect, by repetition ; the use of the topic sentence 
in exposition. 

4. Kinds of sentence : periodic, loose and balanced, 

5. Scansion begun. 

6. Dictation exercises embodying rules heretofore taught. 

TECHNICAL ENGUSH 

Grammar. Study of tenses ; consistency in the use of the 
tenses ; distinction between the active and the passive voice, 
between transitive and intransitive verbs ; analysis of sentences. 

Spelling. Spell 500 words chosen for the year. Increase the 
pupils' vocabulary by 100 words. 

EXAMPLES OF SECOND YEAR COMPOSITIONS 

The compositions here given differ from those of the first year 
in demonstrating more accurate paragraph structure and the use 
of explanatory material. There is less grammatical inaccuracy 
and more originality. 

That Hunting Trip 

There is nothing in a red-blooded boy's life that can arouse him to build 
air castles, and make him feel like "huntin Injuns," as a prospective hunting 
trip can. I remember distinctly one day last fall, when my uncle, a sturdy 
old army man, came thumping into our back kitchen, and with a great deal 
of noise vowed the morrow would see him picking off quail in the woods 
yonder, or he'd "bust." I remember, too, the awful deep sensation that was 
in my heart, wishing, hoping against hope, that something might turn up 
and I'd be able to go along. Then, when he blurted out, "And if nobuddy 
here's agin me, I'm gonna take ole Bud along with me too, to use that there 
light fowlin piece o' Dad's; — he'll like it, and the huntin' '11 do him good," 
my heart was in my mouth. I was Bud. 



65 

Suspense 

Barbara Field sat in the waiting office of Dr. Stone. She glanced at the 
plain green paper which covered the wall. Then she listened for the click 
of the latch on the inner office door. But all was still except the steady 
ticking of the clock. She looked at the dark shades and long lace curtains 
as she thoughtlessly twisted her glove. 

"Oh! Why is he so long?" she kept saying to herself. 

Next the dark brown eyes scanned the dull picture upon the book rack. 
It was then that she first discovered the pile of magazines. Her fingers 
idly turned over the pages. But what did she care about Panama, or Mexico, 
or Brazil? She started. Was the patient really commg out? No, it was 
only the slam of the front door. Another patient was just coming in. 
Barbara arose to look over the row of books which proved to be very 
scientific and uninteresting. But her search was interrupted by the sudden 
appearance of the dentist. "Ready, Miss Field," and she stepped into the 
dreaded chair. 

How to Bathe a Dog 

First entice the unsuspecting pup into the cellar, and shut oflf his means 
of escape. Then half-fill a tub with luke-warm water, and arm yourself 
with a cake of carbolic soap and a sponge. Whistle to the dog, then go 
and bring him to the tub by main force and flop him in. Get up a good 
lather on him, and rinse it off with the sponge. When he is thoroughly 
rinsed, beat a hasty retreat to the other side of the furnace while he helps 
dry himself in his own peculiar way, otherwise the bather may become the 
bathed. 



THIRD YEAR 

First Half 

LITERATURE 

Teachers should find out what has been previously read by the class and 
should substitute, if necessary, in the recommended, the optional or the 
suggested list, those books that are not familiar, so that they may make 
a fresh appeal to the pupils. 

Recommended for classroom work 
A collection of short stories 
The Ancient Mariner, Christabel and Kubla Khan — Coleridge 



66 

Optional or additional 

Henry the Fifth — Shakespeare 

Golden Treasury (first series, book IV, with special atten- 
tion to Wordsworth and Shelley, if not chosen "for study") 
— Palgrave 
Lorna Doone — Blackmore 
A collection of letters by various standard writers 

Suggested for collateral reading 

Dorothy Wordsworth — Edmund Lee 

Literary Reminiscences of the English Lakes — Canon 

Rawnsley 
Opium Eater — De Quincey 
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde — Stevenson 
Poets of America — Stedman 
Romola — George Eliot 
Virginibus Puerisque — Stevenson 
Under the Trees — Mabie 

Autocrat of the Breakfast Table — O. W. Holmes 
My Summer in a Garden — C. D. Warner 
Little Rivers— H. Van Dyke 
Sesame and Lilies — Ruskin 
Story of a Bad Boy — Aldrich 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The practice should be continued in more elaborate attempts 
at narration and description, in which the two may be naturally 
blended to develop appreciation of style and structure of the 
short story. Criticism should be concerned with structure. The 
subjects for themes may be taken from the history and science 
courses as well as from the experiences of the pupils. The work 
should comprise: 

1. Letter writing; business forms. 

2. Short themes, or various types, both oral and written, with 
a growing emphasis on exposition. 

3. A review of the various methods of paragraph development, 
methods of transition, topical outline of the whole composi- 



67 

tion drawn up and theme developed, both orally and in writ- 
ing, on topics drawn either from reading or from experience. 

4. Study of the connotation of words. 

5, Dictation exercises as in preceding years, together with the 
use of the dash and single quotation marks. 

TECHNICAL ENGUSH 

Grammar. Conjunctions, coordinate and subordinate; the 
adverbial adjective; analysis of sentences. 



THIRD YEAR 
Second Half 

LITERATURE 

Recommended for classroom work 

Idylls of the King — Tennyson 
Tale of Two Cities — Dickens 

Optional or additional 
Heroes and Hero Worship — Carlyle 
Shorter Poems — Browning 
Henry Esmond — Thackeray 
Essays of Elia — Lamb 

Suggested for collateral reading 
Tennyson — Hallam Tennyson 
Study of Tennyson — Stopford Brooke 
The Marble Faun — Hawthorne 
Les Miserables — Hugo 
The Rise of Silas Lapham — Howells 
Margaret Ogilvy — Barrie 
Men I Have Known — Farrar 
Victorian Poets — Stedman 
At the Roots of the Mountains — Saintsbury 
Corrected Impressions — Saintsbury 
My Study Window — Lowell 



68 

Imaginary Conversations of Literary Men and Statesmen 

(edited by Colvin) — Landor 
Psalms 19, 23, 24, 27, 42, 46, 65, 80 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The practice should be continued in narration and description, 
but main emphasis should be laid on more elaborate exposition, 
exemplifying different types of varying complexity. Criticism 
should be concerned largely with structure. Subjects may be 
chosen from the experience of every-day life, from the literature 
studied and from collateral subjects of the curriculum. The work 
should comprise: 

1. Letter writing; business forms; simple advertisements. 

2. Short themes, both oral and written, of various types, with 
a beginning of simple argumentation. 

3. The making of outlines by the analysis of propositions ; 
transitions ; emphasis by arrangement. 

4. The gathering of theme material from experience, observa- 
tion, reading and reflection. 

5. The MS. conventions of citation, quotation and reference; 
accuracy ®f diction. 

TECHNICAL ENGUSH 

Grammar. Common uses of the infinitive and participles; 
verbal nouns, analysis of sentences. 

Spelling. Spell 500 words chosen for this year. Enlarge the 
vocabulary by 100 words. 



EXAMPLES OF THIRD YEAR COMPOSITIONS 

The work of this year shows greater maturity of thought. The 
paragraph is better rounded out, mechanical objects are absent, 
there is choicer use of words, and the type of mind indicated 
displays greater imagination and critical judgment. 



69 

The Senior Elder of the Church 

Mr. Cartwright was a good man, not one of the kind who always impress 
their goodness upon others but the kind of a man who waits by the vestibule 
door, on a Sunday after a tedious session of church, with a pocket full of 
peppermints for little boys suffering under the throes of a starched standing 
collar. The kind of a man who has a prosperous air about him and his, 
from his happy handsome wife down to the dappled gray and shiny buggy 
which we always used to see hitched to the church yard fence. He was a 
mild man and kindly; his very bald head seemed to radiate good will. And 
how we children used to love him ! I remember the day I recited the 
catechism to him. I sat in the Cartwright parlor wriggling around on the 
brown plush sofa (so much like a wooly worm) and waited while I watched 
a wasp buzzing fruitlessly against the window screen. Mr. Cartwright came 
in, placed his spectacles on his nose, beamed affably at me and asked tht 
first question. I answered it and he nodded his head reassuring. Just then 
the wasp finding his efforts at the window unregarded alighted on my 
friend's smooth and shining head. Mr. Cartwright hastily lifted his hand 
to brush it away and the inevitable happened but Mr. Cartwright merely 
remarked "by Jenny! they do sting, don't they?" and we proceeded. I 
recited the rest of the questions leaving out perhaps some important points 
which the authors had deemed it necessary to insert for all good Presby- 
terians' well being, but j'et when I was through the old man merely patted 
me on the head and said "Tell your folks ye did fine. Your Pa couldn't do 
it better and he's the preacher," and he slipped a more than usually gen- 
erous supply of peppermints into my willing hand. 

Weekly Themes 

Most of us, I dare say, except a select few who are gifted with that much 
desired talent, oratorical ability, regard weekly themes as an ordeal — a cruel 
invention of extracting from our minds ideas or parts of ideas loosely 
connected and but partially understood by ourselves. The torture to which 
some of us are put to collect together a single page of thoughts and sO 
arrange them that there will result a composition which will do us credit 
and will stand the test of the teacher's criticisms, is not to be described. 
Fortunately, — or perhaps unfortunately, — our teacher does not know of tha 
anxiety and feverishness with which we write down the few inspirations 
that come to us, the gleaming hopefulness with which we then hand in "the 
best that we could do," or does not understand the disappointment of finding, 
when a paper is returned that because of one or two errors in commas or 
semi-colons, the reward of conscientious and painstaking effort is a glowing 
C or even D ! Sufficient for us then that we have tried, and that in spite 
of these first failures, we are willing to try again. 



70 

Story of a Faded Silk Fan 

"Dear me! I do wish I would be taken from this awfully dark place just 
once more." 

So spoke a fan, rather faded now, that Miss Marie had discarded for one 
of better quality. 

"Ever since that horrible blue silk affair has been in Miss Marie's possession 
I have lain in this old box and not even been noticed, — only thrown around. 
Before it came to her, I was always carried to everything. At the dances, 
the very attentive young cavaliers would lead my mistress out upon the 
balcony and hold me — very nicely too ; and, while fanning her, I would hear 
oh! such funny words that made her blush. Then she would take me away 
from the young man — one of the many — and would hide her blushes behind 
me. I was never carelessly thrown aside, for I was always wanted; and, 
wherever I was, I was picked up and admired. My mistress having used me 
so much for this purpose, my complexion has become rather dull and I 
cannot make myself look so pretty as she. So I have been discarded and 
have given my place to my blue silk companion. But I still have those happy 
memories to keep me company in my dull hours." 

The poor, faded silk fan, having finally decided it was best for her to be 
satisfied with her present condition, lay quietly in her secluded box and 
said nothing more. 



FOURTH YEAR 

First Half 

Scheme A 

LITERATURE 

The special work of the fourth year according to "Scheme A" 
is to study those books prescribed "for study" in the entrance 
requirements of most higher institutions. 

Recommended for classroom work 

Selections from Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley in Book IV 

of Palgrave's Golden Treasury (First Series) 
Essay on Burns, with selections from Burns' Poems — Carlyle 



71 

Optional or additional 

Life of Johnson — Macaulay 
The Coming of Arthur, The Holy Grail and The Passing 
of Arthur — Tennyson 

Suggested for collateral reading 

Any books which will help to discover a pupil's liking and 
interests. Suggestive lists will be found in Appendices 
C and D. 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

In this year the work should consist primarily of such a re- 
view of the elements of instruction of the preceding years as 
will give a pupil mastery in the following particulars : 

1. The formation of clear and idiomatic sentences. 

2. Correct spelling of a vocabulary of at least 2000 common 
words. 

3. The fundamental principles of paragraph structure, devel- 
oped simply. 

4. Studies in the use of words — limited vocabularies. 

5. The different kinds of whole compositions, including letter 
writing and easy exposition and argument based upon simple 
outlines. 

6. Debates and after dinner speeches, kept simple. 

The dominant purpose of the instruction indicated above 
should be so to furnish opportunities for drill in the fundamental 
and simple matters of composition that a pupil will not merely 
be able to speak and write correctly, but will be unable to speak 
or write incorrectly. 

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 

Grammar. In this year there should be a systematic review 
of all the principles of English grammar previously taught, with 
the aim of developing the habit of absolute accuracy. 



72 

FOURTH YEAR 

Second Half 

Scheme A 

LITERATURE 

Recommended for classroom work 
Macbeth — Shakespeare 
Macaulay's Speech on Copyright and Lincoln's Speech at 

Cooper Union, or 
Washington's Farewell Address and Webster's Bunker Hill 
Oration. 

Optional or additional 

Essay on Manners — Emerson 
Julius Caesar — Shakespeare 
Hamlet — Shakespeare 

Suggested for collateral reading 

Any books which will help to discover a pupil's liking and 
interests. For suggested lists see Appendices C and D. 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

The drill outlined for the first half year should be continued 
and every effort made to fix habits of accuracy and vigor in the 
matters of daily speech and writing. 

TECHNICAL ENGLISH 

Grammar. Continue the review as the needs of the class de- 
velop. 

Spelling. Spell all the 500 words chosen for the year. Increase 
the vocabulary by 100 words. Review lists of the previous years. 



FOURTH YEAR 

Scheme B 

UTERATURE 

The teacher must ever keep in mind that in the high school he 
is dealing with young people who have different types of mind 
and to whom the various forms of literature make a different 
appeal. This fact has not been lost sight of in the previous years. 
To a certain extent there is a possible adaptability in Scheme A. 
But it is urged that in those classes where college entrance re- 
quirements are not a necessity there be a greater elasticity in 
the method and in the material employed, so that each pupil may 
find some form of real literature which especially interests him. 

As to the question of form, the range of choice is, after all, 
surprisingly narrow. From Homer to Kipling, a stretch of three 
thousand years, books have been produced ; but when we come 
to sum it all up the forms that the literature has taken fall into 
eleven types or groups. 

These groups include, in poetry, epic poems or epics, lyric 
poems or lyrics, dramatic poems or dramas, and ballads; they 
include in prose, histories, orations, biographies, letters, essays, 
novels and short stories. 

It becomes the business of the teacher, therefore, knowing his 
pupils and knowing his material, to make such choices of litera- 
ture as shall aid in discovering a pupil's interests and thus give 
him pleasure. 

No definite outline is suggested, as classroom conditions, in- 
cluding the preparation and interests of the teacher, differ so 
widely. It is recommended that both classic and contemporary 
literature be used. 

PRACTICAL ENGLISH 

(See Scheme A) 



74 
TECHNICAL ENGUSH 



Grammar. (See Scheme A) 
Spelling. (See Scheme A) 



EXAMPLES OF FOURTH YEAR COMPOSITIONS 

The purpose of this collect'on of papers is to show the ma- 
turity of thinking that should characterize fourth year pupils. 
These compositions exhibit a firm grasp of paragraph structure, 
logical modes of thinking, sound ideas and an insight into life 
which is not derived wholly from book training. 

Public Opinion 

Power, unlike justice, is due to popular consent. Public opinion makes the 
executive strong, and gives vigor and force to the administration of laws. A 
government is efficient in so far as it follows the general trend of public 
opinion, and since this is the power that rules a republic, it must necessarily 
be sound and strong, sane and wise. If the people manifest a lack of in- 
terest in public affairs, or if they concern themselves about the tariff only 
when it affects their immediate business affairs, then public opinion is weak, 
ignorant, and usually fallacious. Sometimes, out of a great mass of con- 
flicting and quarreling private wishes and aims, there comes a resultant force 
which sways the actions of legislatures and magistrates. But this public 
opinion, although powerful, is neither stable nor of great tenacity. Further- 
more, since public opinion guides as well as propels, it must be sane and wise. 
Popular prejudice — ^often the substitute for public sentiment — blind, fickle, 
and cruel, steers public affairs without reason or judgment. This sort of 
public opinion said to the United States: "Don't purchase Alaska. It won't 
pay." Then ten years later it exclaimed with enthusiasm: "I'm glad you 
took my advice about Alaska, America. I told you it would be a good in- 
vestment." Thus it is very evident that this matter of popular influence is 
the central and vital force of society. Government is but the machinery 
through which the people voice their opinion. It is this powerful agent which 
compels men to consider a public affair as a public trust. It has given us a 
"government of laws, not of men." It is the life blood in the veins of our 
democracy. It forces us to say: "Everybody's business is my business." Does 
it not therefore behoove us as citizens to have clear ideas about public af- 
fairs, and to have courage enough to support measures leading to social 
regeneration ? 



75 

The Reif n of Winter 

The birds have flown to their winter haunts, 

The flowers have gone to sleep, 
And over the barren land so drear, 

There reigns a silence deep. 

But softly from out the leaden sky, 

With still and noiseless tread, 
Come the white-winged heralds of Winter, King, 

And a cover o'er nature spread. 

And the wind, as it blows through leafless trees 

Murmurs a soft, sweet strain ; 
And the brooklet, listening, learns the tune, 

And joins in the sweet refrain. 

King Winter, for fear of losing the song. 

Stretches forth his miehty hand, 
And lo! a cover is spread o'er all 

The water that sings in the land. 

And as n mother watches her child 

Who is sleeping upon her breast, 
Kins: Winter sits upon his throne 

And watches o'er nature's rest. 

The Baseball Situation 

The outlook for a successful baseball season is very bright. About twenty- 
five candidates have declared their intention of trying out for various posi- 
tions. Out of this number it should not be difficult to select a good team. 
Four of last year's nine are still available. With these men as a nucleus, 
Holbrook should turn out a team that need not be second to any. Captain 
Bellis is a man of several years' experience and under his guidance the team 
should see a very successful season. Of the old men, Hawke, P. Wyckoff and 
Bellis make up three-fourths of our infield. In the outfield we have Young 
of last year's nine. The hardest blow to us will be the loss of both last year's 
pitchers. However, with such men as Jones and P. Wyckoflf available, we 
need not worry. 

At the present writing the manager has about twenty games scheduled. 
Three of these are with our old rival, Westover. It is very probable that 
this year's schedule will have on it three or four schools that have never 
met Holbrook before. Games are either scheduled or pending with the fol- 
lowing schools . . . 

It is the earnest desire of the Coach and Captain to turn out a team equal 
to any of the past, and this can be done only with the help and cooperation 
of the Student Body. From the first game to the last, let the students come 
out and cheer the team that is chosen to represent them. 



76 

Thomas Carlyle 

In looking at the portrait of Thomas Carlyle we are immediately impressed 
by something. We cannot as if we were looking upon the actual man, tell 
whether his eyes are blue or brown, whether his hair is light or dark, or 
whether his nose is long or pointed. But we do find there something which 
is far more interesting to us — his strength of character. He seems to be a 
man to whom, as he himself expressed it in his "Essay on Burns," much 
suffering was advantageous. Sufferings and misfortunes, successfully con- 
quered and overcome, only could give to him that strength of character which 
is so plainly portrayed in his face. Even in his portrait we can see the deep 
lines of care on his forehead which alone would prove that his life was not 
one of pleasure. Indeed every line on his face expresses strength and deter- 
mination to overcome all trials. 



APPENDIX A 
PUBLIC SPEAKING AND DRAMATICS 

J. MiLNOR DOREY, HeAD OF ENGLISH DEPARTMENT, HiGH ScHOOL, TrENTON 

Oral composition is coming into its own. English teachers are realizing 
that written composition alone is not a panacea for all the ills of expression, 
and that there are many life demands upon young people for which only 
considerable drill in oral composition can prepare. Beyond the writing of 
letters, the opportunities for distinctive written as compared to oral com- 
position is at least five to one. Articles for the newspapers, reports of meet- 
ings, papers read before societies and the like, are of infrequent demand. 
But the necessity for mental alertness, keen discrimination, a potent memory, 
concentration and all the habits of logical thinking and persuasive speaking 
which impress a forceful personality on one's environment, are frequent and 
insistent. To this end a great deal of oral composition in class work is im- 
perative, but it will not suffice. Every high school should supplement its 
English composition work with a well-planned, enforced course in public 
speaking. 

This department of work may take five forms: declamations, orations, 
debates, festival day observances and dramatics. Any or all of these are 
effective in making articulate the habit of mind and expression indicated. 
They are particularly valuable in developing vigorous and acceptable person- 
alities in the pupils — an asset greatly in demand in this complex age. In 
this discussion the function and method of each will be treated. 

The particular function of public speaking, as expressed in declamations, 
orations and debates, is to cultivate the memory, the powers of observation 
and distinction, and concentration of mind ; to develop logical habits of 
thinking; to awaken an appreciation of the vigor of prose and the beauty 
of poetry ; and, above all, to enable pupils to secure ease and forcefulness 
of presence in conversation and on public occasions. 

Declamations in the elocutionary sense, the first to be treated, are of 
dubious merit. It is unwise to expect English teachers to add to the simpler 
matter of effective reading aloud the useless paraphernalia of elocution. 
Pupils should be taught in every composition and literature lesson to recite, 
read or declaim passages of literature with ease, force, feeling, sincerity, 
clear enunciation and accurate pronunciation. That is all. The clap-trap 
of agonized mouthings, violent emotional demonstrations and superfluous 
gesticulations is a miasma of the past. Declamations which bring out the 
qualities wished, however, can be required of English classes during the 
first three years, and the course graded. By the third year pupils should 
appear before the school at least twice a year. Declamation contests, on the 

17 



7S 

contrary, for the average high school, are of doubtful value. The sense of 
competition only enhances the tendency to excel in the above mentioned 
excesses. In this way the real values of declamatory work would be per- 
verted. 

Orations should be written by fourth year pupils coincident with their 
composition study of exposition and argument ; not before, unless pupils are 
well advanced. Orations are here considered as formal public addresses, to 
be delivered before the class or the school, not the informal talks on public 
questions which form a logical part of oral composition work in class. Every 
English teacher who proposes to teach exposition and argument to seniors 
should be equipped for this part of the work. Not only should he be able to 
direct pupils in the art of analyzing the masterpieces of oratory, in the making 
of logical outlines and the writing of briefs, but he should know how to 
drill them in all the devices of accomplished oratory — position of body, 
adequate and sane gestures, voice modulation and control, and all the tricks 
of persuasive eloquence. Every senior should appear before the school at 
least twice during the year, and many times before his class. Oratorical con- 
tests, however, are also questionable, for exaggerations, wrong emphasis and 
theatrical effects are likely to crop in, and inadvisable themes are likely to 
be chosen. Not one high school graduate in ten may ever be called upon 
to stump for a candidate or address a meeting, but sound drill in logical 
thinking and forceful delivery of ideas inevitably creates leaders in a com- 
munity. 

Class and public debates require the same emphasis and treatment as 
orations. The give and take of a debate calls for mental alertness, keen and 
rapid discrimination and a tolerance and self-control which are of inestimable 
value. Fourth year pupils are able to conduct useful and spirited debates, 
within the limitations of immature minds and school conditions. Here, inter- 
class society or school contests are commendable, for the stress is laid not 
so much on tricks of presentation as "delivery of the goods." Fair-minded 
judges always commend adroit reasoning, mass of evidence and effective 
arrangement first, eloquent presentation and pleasing utterance second. 
First and second year pupils are usually incompetent debaters. Their per- 
formances are, in the main, purposeless, sad spectacles, and usually wear the 
garb of jarring personalities and silly invectives. They only amuse or irritate 
the hearers, and work injury to the participants and the pedagogy involved. 

A word concerning literary societies. In the form commonly observed in the 
average high school, these remnants of Friday afternoon performances of the 
district school do not show much improvement. First and second year pupils 
still struggle in debate with the question of the tariff, woman's suffrage and 
local option, wallowing about in a vast welter of meaningless words. "Cur- 
rent events" are read to a spiritless class with little recognition of what con- 
stitutes news. There is still the agonized declamation, the characterless 
"reading" and the ever stale and questionable joke list. 

Do away with all this. If there must be a "Literary Society," create two 



79 

rival societies in the senior class, making membership the reward of excellent 
class work, and keeping the work on a level with the minds handling it. If 
the lower classes clamor for this sort of organization, lay the emphasis on 
mere class union. Permit the class to revel in this sense of unity; develop 
in them the spirit of practical social service by providing opportunities for 
civic and charitable enterprise. Give the hour devoted to this work to tactful 
lessons in ethics and patriotism. Make the work aid their English by estab- 
lishing reading circles and exchanging ideas in discussion. Make it aid their 
history by instituting realistic trips to foreign shores under the 
guidance of maps, time-tables, pictures, anecdotes and legends. Make 
the literary society responsible for the correct observance of national holidays. 
In this way pupils will receive truer intellectual culture and a livelier and 
more beneficial sense of class unity, with higher zeal for practical altruism. 

This brings us to our next topic, the function and treatment of festivals. 
All are agreed that the conventional methods of impressing on pupils the 
salient facts about the Thanksgiving season, Washington, Lincoln and the 
Civil War, are exhausted. Surely we all recognize the significance of these 
festival days. Indeed, many schools add to the above, Peace Day, Christmas 
and Easter observance, May Day, Harvest Home, Flag Day, Patriot's Day, 
etc. We all know that only through these occasions are we led to that solemn 
sense of the sacredness of the past, the heritage of its heroes and wise men, 
and that racial continuity we take such infinite pains to preserve. Let us, 
then, give this work greater and more intelligent zeal. Render unto the 
church and the city what is theirs, but let the schools select only those cele- 
brations its wise democracy can best exemplify, striving each year for clearer 
and more desirable portraiture. There is abundant evidence that revivals of 
historic scenes, reproductions of celebrated events, pageants, tableau repre- 
sentation of crucial instances in national and literary history, or contrasts in 
ancient and modern conditions, are fast supplanting the conventional celebra- 
tions of the past. Let this, then, be the modern form of festival day ob- 
servance. Let the teachers cooperate with the pupils; let the music, art, and 
manual training departments lend a hand ; and out of wholly local conditions 
the most inspiring and memorable events can be reproduced, the most in- 
structive lessons taught. It takes work, but it is worth it, even if only one 
festival a year be considered. Each succeeding year can witness new attempts 
in untrod fields. 

The place of dramatics in the high school program is the next logical con- 
sideration, being, as they are, but an emanation and enlargement of the 
modern spirit of festival celebration. Dramatics have won a recognized place 
in high school work. Not a school but offers to the admiring public some 
amateur production during the school year. In many schools each class 
has its "play," and the efforts to make the enterprise successful and artistic 
are often most elaborate and professional. Now that we recognize its edu- 
cational value, the ban has been taken from the drama. Obviously the best 
way to study Shakespeare is to study him; the development of much that we 



8o 

hold sacred in church, society and state, is best apprehended by a study of 
the history of the drama. School dramatics not only serve all the interests 
of elocution, and, more intelligently, all the habits of mind and expression 
it is the opportunity of public speaking to produce, but a great deal more. 
The complex demands made upon one in acting, the mental alertness, the 
initiative, esprit de corps, enterprise, bodily and facial movement, the close 
study of human nature required, the obligation to put oneself in another's 
place, and the general versatile adaptability demanded, are of the greatest 
consequence in making a person conscious of his powers, adept in using 
them and full of the knowledge of life and human nature. If you would 
have pupils kind, honest, charitable, winsome, virtuous, high-minded and 
unselfish, let them study these qualities as portrayed in famous characters 
of the drama. If you would have them shun malice, theft, dishonor, self- 
seeking, craft and hypocrisy, let them portray these attributes, and they will 
be forever after anathema to them. 

In order to get the best results it is advisable that schools prescribe the 
place of dramatics in their work and adhere to the plan best suited to given 
conditions. Generally speaking, two plays a year are sufficient; with a poHcy 
of one, better work can be done and no other department or interest ham- 
pered. The play should be given by members of the senior class, or by the 
dramatic society of the school. In every case some competent English 
teacher should have charge; never a professional, unless incidentally. Where 
school conditions are inadequate, there is no objection to employing a local 
theatre, but the spirit of the work should be distinctly amateur and scholastic, 
and therefore under complete scholastic control. 

Types of plays to be given will vary with conditions. From The Private 
Secretary to Antigone is a far cry, yet some schools seem capable of giving 
only the former, while in other schools the latter is a natural outlet for this 
work. In the main, there is little value in the farce melodrama, or in any 
form of concentrated trash which strews the pages of the amateur play pub- 
lisher; though real comedy, compelling a practical knowledge of certain 
essential human traits, is to be commended. Far better the spiritual culture 
derived in interpreting what will always be beautiful because of its austere 
elusiveness, than the gratification of the desire for amusement satisfied by 
easily comprehended sentimentality or buflfoonery. There should be some 
objective in any school giving a certain amount of time to such work — 
some ulterior aim more commendable than reanimating a depleted class 
treasury or providing for some lark or "spread." Let a substantial admission 
fee be charged, and when expenses are paid, let the money go to the school 
as a class memorial for decorating the school walls, providing books for the 
school library or endowing a course of study, a scholarship or a lecture 
course. Young people are easily aroused to the benefit of such social service; 
they are better off in spirit, and the school is better off in equipment. 

Before this phase of the matter is closed, a word should be added about 
dramatizations. Much valuable work in dramatics can be done by the pupils 



themselves in dramatizing classics, such as Tennyson's Princess, Scott's Lady 
of the Lake, Blackmore's Lorna Doone, etc. Often the most sensible review 
of a text is to have various selections memorized and recited in dialog form 
before the class. Even here much time may be profitably spent in perfecting 
details, to the fuller joy and profit of all participants. The drama is here 
to stay. It is foolish to combat the theatre as a social force. A sane and 
healthy course in this study in the schools will develop more useful person- 
alities and will lead to right conceptions and treatment of the drama in com- 
munity life, will produce greater intelligence and taste in the choice of plays, 
and will be a moral force in furthering the best interests of the people. 

It is difficult to recommend a list of books on all these subjects which will 
please all. Tastes differ; conditions differ; and the number of books extant 
is beyond compute. The following bibliography contains material with which 
teachers are acquainted. It will be noticed that the books are arranged 
according to departments of work, that some magazines and magazine 
articles are mentioned, and some specific "pieces" and plays are recommended. 



DECLAMATIONS 

Kleiser, Grenville. How to Speak in Public. Funk & Wagnalls. $1.25 
Kleiser, Grenville. How to Read and Declaim. Funk & Wagnalls. $1.25 
Kleiser, Grenville. How to Develop Power and Personality. Funk & 

Wagnalls. $\.2S 
Clark, S. H. Handbook of Best Readings. Scribner. $1.25 
Hyde, W. D. School Speaker and Reader. Ginn. $1.10 
Everts, K. J. The Speaking Voice. Harper. $1 

Curry, S. S. The Province of Expression. Boston Expression Co. $1.50 
Johnston, C. H. High School Education, Scribner. $1,50 

Contains an ample bibliography. 
Scenes from The Tale of Two Cities, Lorna Doone, Idylls of the King, 

Julius Caesar, Henry V, Browning's Poems, Milton's Paradise Lost, 

Longfellow's Morituri Salutamus, Book of Ruth, London by Lamb 
Scenes from modern historical novels; or dramatic short story writers 

such as London, Kipling, Bennett; or scenes from the Greek 

tragedies, etc. 

PUBUC SPEAKING 

Shurter, E. D. Public Speaking. Allyn & Bacon. 90 cents 

Duncan, Denney, McKinney. Argument and Debate. American Book Co. 

Oral Composition. Education, 31:449 

Power to Think Straight. Nation, 91:333 

Baker, G. P. Forms of Public Address. Holt. $1.12 



82 

Buckley, J. M. Extemporaneous Oratory. Methuen. $1.50 

Higginson, T. W. Hints on Writing and Speech Making. Longmans. SO 

cents 
Ott, E. A. How to Gesture. Hinds & Noble. $1 

Bryan, W. J. The World's Famous Orations. Funk & Wagnalls (sub- 
scription) 
Harding, S. B. Select Orations Illustrating American History. Macmillan. 

$1.25 
Pearson, P. M. Intercollegiate Debates. Hinds & Noble. $\.S0 
The Speaker. A quarterly magazine by Pearson 
Shurter, E. D. Masterpieces of Modern Oratory. Ginn. $1.20 
Esenwein, J. B. How to Attract and Hold an Audience. Hinds & Noble. $1 
Fulton, R. I. & Trueblood, T. C. Essentials of Public Speaking for Secon- 
dary Schools. Ginn, $1 

FESTIVALS 

Angell, E. D. Play. Little, Brown & Co. $1.50 

Burchenal, E. Folk Dances. Schirmer. $1.50 

Chambers, R. Book of Days. Lippincott. $5 

Craig, A. T. The Dramatic Festival. Putnam. $1.25 

Deem, E. M. Holy Days and Holidays. Funk & Wagnalls. $5 

Miller, F. M. Historical Pageants. J. D. Miller Co. Leominster, Mass. 25 

cents 
Chubb, PercivaL Festival. Monroe's Cyclopedia of Education, vol. II 
Manny. Types of School Festivals. Elementary School Teacher March 1907 
Rice, S. S. Holiday Selections. Penn Pub'g Co. Philadelphia. 50 cents 
Needham, M. M. Folk Festivals. Huebsch. $1.25 

DRAMATICS 

Woodbridge, E. The Drama, its Laws and Technique. Allyn & Bacon. 

80 cents 
Matthews, Brander. Study of the Drama. Houghton. $1.50 
Matthews, Brander. Dramatization of Novels 
Wilstach. Dramatizations. Dial, 33:5 

Hennequin, A. The Art of Playwriting. Houghton. $1.50 
Price, W. T. The American Playwright 
A few modern plays: Mice and Men, An American Citizen, Lend Me Five 

Shillings, Nephew or Uncle, Mistress Penelope 
Of course: S;hakespeare, Goldsmith, Sheridan, Tennyson, Longfellow, 

Howells; a little of the Greek; Jones and Ibsen 



APPENDIX B 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC 

Bradley, H. The Making of English. Macmillan. $i 

Krapp, G. F. Modern English: Its Growth and Present Use. 
Scribner. $1.25 

Lounsbury, T. R. History of the English Language. Holt. $1.25 

White, R. G. Every Day English, and Words and their Uses. 
Houghton Mifflin Co. $2 

Wyld, H. C. The Growth of English. Button. $1 

Greenough, J. B. & Kittredge, G. L. Words and their Ways in 
English Speech. Macmillan. $1.10 

Anderson, J. M A Study of English Words, American Book 
Co. 40 cents 

Chubb, Percival. The Teaching of English. Macmillan. $1 

Carpenter, Baker & Scott The Teaching of English. Long- 
mans. $1.50 

Palmer, George H. Self Cultivation in English. Houghton. 35 
cents 

Ashmun, Margaret. Composition in the High School. The First 
and Second Years. Bulletin of University of Wisconsin 

Bleyer, W. G. The High School Course in English. Bulletin of 
University of Wisconsin 

University of Chicago. English Journal 

University of Chicago. School Review 

Columbia University. Educational Review 

Teaching of Elementary Composition and Grammar. Bulletin 
New Jersey Department of Public Instruction 

Report of Joint Committee on Grammatical Nomenclature. Bul- 
letin National Education Association 

Association of Teachers of English of New Jersey. Leaflet 

Illinois Association of Teachers of English (Urbana, 111.) Bulletin 

New England Association of Teachers of English. Leaflet 

83 



84 

UTERATURE 

Woodberry, George E. The Appreciation of Literature. Baker 

$1.50 
Colby, J. Rose. Literature and Life in School. Houghton. $1.25 
Bates, Arlo. Talks on the Study of Literature. Houghton. $1.50 
Bates, Arlo. Talks on Teaching Literature. Houghton. $1.30 
Corson, Hiram. Aims of Literary Study. Macmillan. 75 cents 
Corson, Hiram. The Voice and Spiritual Education. Macmillan. 

75 cents 
Chubb, Percival. The Teaching of English. Macmillan. $1 
Carpenter, Baker & Scott. The Teaching of English. Longmans. 

$1.50 
McMurry, Charles. Special Method in Reading English Classics. 

Macmillan. 75 cent.s 
Welch, John S. Literature in the School. Silver. $1.25 
Mabie, Hamilton. Books and Culture 

Curry, S. S. Mind and Voice. Boston Expression Co. $1.50 
Dye, Charity. The Story-Teller's Art. Ginn. 50 cents 
St. John, Edward Porter. Stories and Story-Telling. Pilgrim 

Press. 60 cents 
Wyche, Richard. Some Great Stories and How To Tell Them. 

Newson & Co. $1 
Palmer, George H. The Ideal Teacher. Houghton. 35 cents 
Curry, S. S. Imagination and Dramatic Instinct. Boston Ex- 
pression Co. $1.50 
Higginson, T. W. Hints on Writing and Speech Making. Long- 
mans. 50 cents 
Matthews, Brander. Notes on Speech Making. Longmans. 50 

cents 
Fairchild, Arthur H. R. The Teaching of Poetry in the High 

School. Houghton. 60 cents 
Ryland, T. Chronological Outlines of English Literature. Mac- 
millan. $1.40 
Smith, C. Alphonso. What Can Literature Do For Me? 
Blakely, G. P. Teachers Outlines for Stories in English. Amer- 
ican Book Co. 50 cents 
The Short Story. Bulletin of Illinois Association of Teachers 
of English 



APPENDIX C 

LIST OF BOOKS TO BE READ FOR PLEASURE AND 

PROFIT 

Prepared by 
The Newark Public Library and the New Jersey Public Library 

Commission 

This is not a list for a high school library. It is a reading list for 
high school pupils, of books which they may find enjoyable after 
they have read the books they "ought to read" and those they "have 
to read." 

It is not intended to take the place of any of those masterpieces 
of literature the reading of which is so necessary and so enjoyable 
a part of one's education. 

It is based upon lists issued by the Brooklyn, Buffalo, New York, 
Chicago, Pittsburgh, East Orange, and Newark public libraries; 
Reading for Pleasure and Profit compiled by Miss Margaret Coult 
for the Newark Public Library ; Report of the Committee on Home 
Reading of the National Council of Teachers of English ; bibliogra- 
phies of the New York State Library, and the A. L. A. Booklist. 

Titles have been omitted as follows : those that are included 
in elementary lists, those it is assumed the average child has read 
before reaching high school age, those included in the reading 
requirements for English courses and the College entrance re- 
quirements in English, those given in the body of this pamphlet, 
and those desirable for their subject matter alone. 

The subject arrangement is suggestive of the reasons for the 
inclusion of the titles in this list, and may lead to further "read- 
ing with a purpose." 

All of these books can be borrowed from the average public 
library. 

nCTION 

Adventure 

Cervantes. Don Quixote 

85 



86 



Crane, Stephen. Red Badge of Courage 
LeSage, A. R. Gil Bias 
Poe, E. A. Gold Bug 

Animal stories 

Bostock, F. C. Training of Wild Animals 
London, Jack. Call of the Wild 
Ollivant, Alfred. Bob, Son of Battle 
Ramee, Louise de la. Dog of Flanders 

Business and politics 

Day, Holman. King Spruce 

Norris, Frank. Octopus 

Norris, Frank. Pit 

Tarkington, Booth. Gentleman from Indiana 

Character 
Arnim, M. A. Elizabeth and her German Garden 
Austen, Jane. Emma 
Austen, Jane. Northanger Abbey 
Barrie, J. M. Sentimental Tommy 
Craik, D. M. John Halifax, Gentleman 
Deland, Margaret. Old Chester Tales 
Eggleston, Edward. Circuit Rider 
Ewing, J. H. Jackanapes 
Obenchain, E. C. Aunt Jane of Kentucky 
Ford, P. L. Honorable Peter Stirling 
Gale, Zona. Friendship Village 
Harrison, H. S. Queed 
Holland, J. G. Arthur Bonnicastle 
Howells, W. D. Rise of Silas Lapham 
Hugo, Victor. Les Miserables 
Johnston, Mary. Lewis Rand 
Kester, Vaughan. Prodigal Judge 
Lincoln, J. C. Mr. Pratt 
MacDonald, George. Sir Gibbie 
Mason, A. E. Four Feathers 
Saintine, J. X. B. Picciola 
Smith, F. H. Caleb West 
Tarkington, Booth. Monsieur Beaucaire 



S7 

Watts, Mary. Van Cleve 
Woolson, C. F. Anne 
Chivalry 

Bulfinch, Thomas. Age of Chivalry 
College 

Smith, F. H. College Years 
Williams, J. L. Princeton Stories 
Detective 

Collins, Wilkie. Moonstone 
Doyle, A. C. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes 
Gaboriau, Emil. File 113 
Family life 

Bucktose, J. E. Down Our Street 
Brush, C. C. Colonel's Opera Cloak 
Norris, Kathleen. Mother 
Richmond, Grace. Second Violin 
Fanciful tales 

Aldrich, T. B. Marjorie Daw 
Harris, J. C. Uncle Remus 
Poe, E. A. Tales 
Sue, Eugene. Wandering Jew 

Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea 
Historical 
Canada 

17th Century 

Catherwood, M. H. Romance of Bollard 
18th Century 

Catherwood, M. H. Lazarre 
Parker, Gilbert. Seats of the Mighty 
Chivalry 

Brooks, Eldridge. Chivalric Days 
Egypt — Ancient 

Ebers, George. Uarda 
England 
14th Century — French Wars 

Doyle, A. C. White Company 
Elizabethan England 

Kingsley, Charles. Westward Ho! 



88 



England and France — 1783 

Parker, Gilbert. Battle of the Strong 
France 

16th Century 

Runkle, Bertha. Helmet of Navarre 
Weyman, Stanley. Under the Red Robe 

Huguenots 

Doyle, A. C. Refugees 

Weyman, Stanley. Gentleman of France 

Weyman, Stanley. House of the Wolf 

French Revolution 

Gras, Felix. Reds of the Midi 
Hugo, Victor. Ninety-three 
Mitchell, S. W. Adventures of Francois 
Germany 

15th Century 

Yonge, C. M. Dove in the Eagle's Nest 

Holland 

17 th Century 

Dumas, Alexandre. Black Tulip 
India 
Sepoy Rebellion 

Steele, F. A. On the Face of the Waters 
Norway — Vikings 

Liljencrantz, O. A. Thrall of Lief the Lucky 

Poland 

Sienkiewicz, Henryk. In Desert and Wilderness 

Rome — Ancient 

Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. Rienzi 
Davis, W. S. Friend of Caesar's 
Scotland 

ISth Century 

Porter, Jane. Scottish Chiefs 
16th Century 

Yonge, C. M. Unknown to History 
United States 
Colonial 



89 

Neiv England 

Austin, J. G. Betty Alden 

Dix, B. M. Making of Christopher Ferringham 
Dutch Neiv York 

Barr, Amelia. Bow of Orange Ribbon 
Virginia 
Goodwin, M. W. Head of a Hundred 
Goodwin, M. W. White Aprons 
Johnston, Mary. Prisoners of Hope 
French and Indian Wars 

Chambers, Robert, Cardigan 
Thompson, Maurice. Alice of Old Vincennes 
Revolution 

Churchill, Winston. Richard Carvel 
Mitchell, S. W. Hugh Wynne 
Civil War 

Cable, George. Dr. Sevier 
Churchill, Winston. Crisis 
Glasgow, Ellen. Battle Ground 
Indians 

Jackson, H. H. Ramona 
Love and Adventure 

Castle, Agnes and Egerton. Pride of Jennico 
Davis, R. H. Soldiers of Fortune 
Dix, B. M. Beau's Comedy 
Dumas, Alexandre. Count of Monte Cristo 
Dumas, Alexandre. Three Musketeers 
Dumas, Alexandre. Twenty Years After 
Garland, Hamlin. Captain of the Grey Horse Troop 
Harland, Henry. Cardinal's Snuff Box 
Hope, Anthony. Prisoner of Zenda 
King, Charles. Colonel's Daughter 
Major, Charles. When Knighthood was in Flower 
McCarthy, Justin. If I Were King 
Seawell, M. E. History of Lady Betty Stair 
Viele, H. K. Inn of the Silver Moon 
Patriotism 

Hale, E. E. Man Without a Country 



90 

Nature 

Roberts, C. G. D. Heart of the Ancient Wood 
Persons 
Alexander Hamilton 

Atherton, Gertrude. Conqueror 
Joan of Arc 

Clemens, S. L, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc 
Shakespeare 

Black, William, Judith Shakespeare 
Place 
Alaska 

Beach, Rex. Barrier 
Ancient Rome 

Bulwer-Lytton, Edward. Last Days of Pompeii 
Ancient Rome and Palestine 

Wallace, Lew. Ben Hur 
Canada 

Gordon, C. W. Glengarry School Days 
England 

Burnett, F. H. That Lass o' Lowries 

Trollope, Anthony. Small House at Allington 
France 

Halevy, L. Abbe Constantine 

Sand, George. Fanchon the Cricket 

Schultz, Jeanne, Story of Collette 
India 

Crawford, F. M, Mr. Isaacs 

Kipling, Rudyard, Kim 
Ireland 

Ingelow, Jean. Off the Skelligs 
Japan 

Little, Frances. Lady of the Decoration 
Kentucky 

Allen, J. L. Kentucky Cardinal 

Fox, John, Jr. Trail of the Lonesome Pine 
Labrador 

Duncan, Norman. Dr. Luke of the Labrador 

Grenfel, W. T. Down North on the Labrador 



91 

New England 

Freeman, M. E. W. New England Nun 

Jewett, S. O. Country of the Pointed Firs 

Jewett, S. O. Deephaven 

Lincoln, J. C. Captain Warren's Wards 
New Orleans 

Cable, George. Grandissimes 
North Carolina 

Burnett, F. H. Louisiana 
Ohio 

Watts, M. S. Nathan Burke 
Pennsylvania 

Martin, H. R. Tillie, the Mennonite Maid 

Scotland 

Barrie, J. M. Little Minister 

Black, William. Princess of Thule 

Crockett, S. R. Raiders 

Watson, John. Beside the Bonnie Brier Bush 

Wiggin, K. D. Penelope's Progress 
Sweden 

Lagerlof, Selma. Girl from the Marsh Croft 

Tennessee 

Murfree, M. N. Prophet of Great Smoky Mountain 
Virginia 

Page, T. N. Old Gentleman of the Black Stock 

Smith, F. H. Colonel Carter of Cartersville 
Western Stories 

Adams, Andy. Log of a Cowboy 

Gates, Eleanor. Biography of a Prairie Girl 

Gates, Eleanor. Plow Woman 

Grey, Zane. Last of the Plainsmen 

Grey, Zane. Riders of the Purple Sage 

Harte, Bret. Luck of Roaring Camp 

Henry, O. Heart of the West 

Spearman, F. H, Whispering Smith 

White, S. E. Blazed Trail 

Wister, Owen. Virginian 



92 

Psychological 

Mitchell, J. A. Amos Judd 
Railroad Stories 

Kester, Vaughan. Manager of the B. and A. 
Sea Stories 

Conrad, Joseph, Typhoon 

Duncan, Norman. Cruise of the Shining Light 

Duncan, Norman. Way of the Sea 

Kipling, Rudyard. Captains Courageous 

Marryat, Frederick. Midshipman Easy 

Russell, W. C. Wreck of the Grosvenor 
Short Stories 

Bunner, H. C. Short Sixes 

Henry, O. Four Million 

NON-FICTION 

Allen, W. H. Woman's Part in Government 

Anderson, R. B. Viking Tales of the North 

Antin, Mary. Promised Land 

Ball, R. S. Star Land 

Bennett, Arnold. Your United States 

Bishop, J. B. Panama Gateway 

Brassey, A. Around the World in the Yacht Sunbean 

Clemens, S. L. Life on the Mississippi 

Collier, Price. Germany and the Germans 

Couch, A. Quiller. Historical Tales of Shakespeare 

Creasy, E. S. Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World 

Darwin, Charles. Around the World in the Ship Beagle 

Dawson, S. M. Confederate Girl's Diary 

DuChaillu, Paul. Country of the Dwarfs 

DuChaillu, Paul. Stories of the Gorilla Country 

Duncan, Norman. Dr. Grenfel's Parish 

Eastman, C. A. Indian Boyhood 

Eastman, C. A. Indian Child Life 

Eastman, C. A. Old Indian Days 

Greeley, A. W. True Tales of Arctic Heroism 

Grenfel, W. T. Adrift on an Ice Pan 



93 

Grenfel and others. Labrador 

Griffis, W. E. Brave Little Holland 

Giierber, H. A. Legends of the Middle Ages 

Guerber, H. A. Myths of Greece and Rome 

Guerber, H. A. Myths of Northern Lands 

Hay, John. Castilian Days 

Hearn, Lafcadio. Out of the East 

Irving, Washington. Tales of the Alhambra 

Janvier, T. A. Tales of Mexico City 

Judson, K. B. Myths and Legends of the Great Plains 

Kellner, Leon. Austria of the Austrians 

Leupp, F. E. Indian and his Problem 

Lodge and Roosevelt. Hero Tales from American History 

Lucas, E. V. Wanderer in Florence 

Maeterlinck, Maurice. Life of the Bee 

Martin, M. E, Friendly Stars 

Nansen, Fridtjof. Farthest North 

Parkman, Francis. Half a Century of Conflict 

Parkman, Francis. LaSalle and the Discovery of the Great West 

Parkman, Francis. Montcalm and Wolfe 

Parkman, Francis. Pioneers of France in the New World 

Pinchot, Gififord. Training of a Forester 

Serviss, G. P. Astronomy in a Nutshell 

Steevens, G. W. With Kitchener to Khartoum — 

Steiner, E. A. Immigrant Tide 

Sturgis, Russell. Appreciation of Architecture 

Talbot, P. A. In the Shadow of the Bush 

White, S. E. Forest 

Wilson, Woodrow. New Freedom 

BIOGRAPHY 

Allen, A. V. G. Life of Phillips Brooks (abridged edition) 

Barrie, J. M, Margaret Ogilvy 

Borrow, G. H. L'Avengro 

Chesterton, G. K, Charles Dickens 

Custer, E. B. Tenting on the Plains 

Custer, Elizabeth. Boots and Saddles 



94 



Ford, P. L. Many Sided Franklin 

Gilchrist, B. B. Life of Mary Lyon 

Gilder, Jeannette. Autobiography of a Tom Boy 

Hale, E. E. New England Boyhood 

Home, C. S. David Livingstone 

Howells, W. D. My Mark Twain 

Ireland, Alleyne. Joseph Pulitzer 

James, Henry. Small Boy and Others 

Johnston, C. H. L. Famous Cavalry Leaders 

Keller, Helen. Story of My Life 

Larcom, Lucy. New England Girlhood 

Lockhart, J. G. Life of Sir Walter Scott 

Macaulay, T. B. Clive 

Markino, Yoshio. When I Was a Child 

Moses, Belle. Louisa May Alcott 

Muir, John. Story of my Boyhood and Youth 

Palmer, G. H. Life of Alice Freeman Palmer 

Richards, L. E. Florence Nightingale 

Riis, Jacob. Making of an American 

Rolfe, William. Shakespeare the Boy 

Thaxter, Celia. Letters 

Washington, B. T. Up from Slavery 

Wister, Owen. Seven Ages of Washington 

Wister, Owen. Ulysses S. Grant 

DRAMA 

Galsworthy, John. Pigeon 
Maeterlinck, Maurice. Blue Bird 
Rostand, E. E. A. Cyrano de Bergerac 
Yeats, W. B. Cathleen na Houlihan 

ESSAYS 

Chesterton, G. K. Tremendous Trifles 
Colby, F. M. Imaginary Obligations 
Crothers, S. M. Gentle Reader 



95 

Hntton, Laurence. Talks in a Library 

James, William. On Some of Life's Ideals 

Lamb, Charles. Essays of Elia 

Perry, Bliss. American Mind 

Repplier, Agnes. Americans and Others 

Repplier, Agnes. Essays in Idleness 

Repplier, Agnes. Varia 

Roosevelt, Theodore. American Ideals 

Stevenson, R. L. Vailima Letters 

Stevenson, R. L. Virginibus Puerisque 

POETRY 

Burrell, Augustine. Book of Heroic Verse 

Couch, A. Quiller. Oxford Book of English Verse 

Henley, W. E. Lyrica Heroica 

Macaulay, T. B. Lays of Ancient Rome 

Rickert and Paton. American Lyrics 

Seward, S. S. Narrative and Lyrical Poems 

Stedman, E. C. American Anthology 

Stedman, E. C. Victorian Anthology 



APPENDIX D 

COLLEGE ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS IN ENGLISH 

1915-1919 

The text of the recommendations of the National Conference on 
Uniform Entrance Requirements in English is given in full. This 
supersedes the previously announced requirements for 191 5. 

A. READING 

The aim of this course is to foster in the student the habit of 
intelligent reading and to develop a taste for good literature, by 
giving him a first hand knowledge of some of its best specimens. 
He should read the books carefully, but his attention should not be 
so fixed upon details that he fails to appreciate the main purpose 
and charm of what he reads. 

With a view to large freedom of choice, the books provided for 
reading are arranged in the following groups, from each of which 
at least two selections are to be made, except as otherwise provided 
under Group I. 

GROUP I 
CLASSICS IN TRANSLATION 

The Old Testament, comprising at least the chief narrative epi- 
sodes in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings and 
Daniel, together with the books of Ruth and Esther, 

The Odyssey, with the omission, if desired, of Books I, II, III, 
IV, V, XV, XVI, XVII, 

The Iliad with the omission, if desired, of Books XI, XIII, XIV, 
XV, XVII, XXI. 

The ^neid. 

The Odyssey, Iliad and ^neid should be read in English transla- 
tions of recognized literary excellence. 

For any selection from this group a selection from any other 
group may be substituted. 

97 



98 

GROUP n 
SHAKESPEARE 

Midsummer-Night's Dream, Merchant of Venice, As You Like It, 
Twelfth Night, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, King John, Richard 
II, Richard III, Henry V, Coriolanus. Julius Caesar, Macbeth, 
Hamlet, if not chosen for study under B. 

GROUP ni 
PROSE FICTION 

Malory: Morte d' Arthur (about lOO pages) 

Bunyan : Pilgrim's Progress, Part I 

Swift: Gulliver's Travels (voyages to Lilliput and to Brobdingnag) 

Defoe: Robinson Crusoe, Part I 

Goldsmith : Vicar of Wakefield 

Frances Burney (Madame d'Arblay) : Evelina 

Scott's Novels: any one 

Maria Edgeworth : Castle Rackrent, or The Absentee 

Dickens's Novels: any one 

Thackeray's Novels : any one 

George Eliot's Novels: any one 

Mrs. Gaskell: Cranford 

Kingsley: Westward Ho! or Hereward the Wake 

Reade : The Cloister and the Hearth 

Blackmore: Lorna Doone 

Hughes: Tom Brown's Schooldays 

Stevenson : any one of the novels which are out of copyright 

Cooper's Novels: any one 

Poe : Selected Tales 

Hawthorne : any one of the novels which are out of copyright 

A collection of short stories by various standard writers. 

GROUP IV 
ESSATS, BIOGRAPHY, ETC. 

Addison and Steele: The Sir Roger de Coverley Papers, or Selec- 
tions from The Tattler and The Spectator (about 200 pages) 
Boswell: Selections from the Life of Johnson (about 200 pages) 
Franklin : Autobiography 



99 

Irving: Selections from the Sketch Book (about 200 pages), or 

the Life of Goldsmith 
Southey: Life of Nelson 

Lamb: Selections from the Essays of Elia (about 100 pages) 
Lockhart: Selections from the Life of Scott (about 200 pages) 
Thackeray : Lectures on Swift, Addison, and Steele in the English 

Humorists 
Macaulay : One of the following Essays : Lord Clive, Warren 

Hastings, Milton, Addison, Goldsmith, Frederick the Great, 

Madame d' Arblay 
Trevelyan : Selections from Life of Macaulay (about 200 pages) 
Ruskin: Sesame and Lilies, or Selections (about 150 pages) 
Dana: Two Years before the Mast 
Lincoln: Selections, including at least the two inaugurals, the 

Speeches in Independence Hall and at Gettysburg, the Last 

Public Address, and Letter to Horace Greeley; together with 

a brief memoir or estimate of Lincoln 
Parkman: The Oregon Trail 
Thoreau: Walden 

Lowell: Selected Essays (about 150 pages) 
Holmes : The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table 
Stevenson: Inland Voyage and Travels with a Donkey 
Huxley : Autobiography and selections from Lay Sermons, includ- 
ing the addresses on Improving Natural Knowledge, A Liberal 

Education, and A Piece of Chalk 
A collection of essays by Bacon, Lamb, De Quincey, Hazlitt, 

Emerson, and later writers 
A collection of letters by various standard writers 

GROUP V 
POETRY 

Palgrave's Golden Treasury (First Series) : Books II and III, with 
special attention to Dryden, Collins, Gray, Cowper, and Burns 

Palgrave's Golden Treasury (First Series) : Book IV, with special 
attention to Wordsworth, Keats, and Shelley (if not chosen 
for study under B) 



ICX) 

Goldsmith : The Traveller and The Deserted Village 

Pope : The Rape of the Lock 

A collection of English and Scottish Ballads, as, for example, Robin 
Hood Ballads, The Battle of Otterburn, King Estmere, Young 
Beichan, Bewick and Grahame, Sir Patrick Spens, and a selec- 
tion from later ballads 

Coleridge : The Ancient Mariner, Christabel, and Kubla Khan 

Byron : Childe Harold, Canto HI, or Canto IV, and Prisoner of 
Chillon 

Scott : The Lady of the Lake, or Marmion 

Macaulay : The Lays of Ancient Rome, The Battle of Naseby, 
The Armada, Ivry 

Tennyson : The Princess, or Gareth and Lynette, Lancelot and 
Elaine, and Passing of Arthur 

Browning: Cavalier Tunes, The Lost Leader, How they Brought 
the Good News from Ghent to Aix, Home Thoughts from 
Abroad, Home Thoughts from the Sea, Incident of the French 
Camp, Herve Riel, Pheidippides, My Last Duchess, Up at a 
Villa — Down in the City, The Italian in England, The Pa- 
triot, "De Gustibus — " The Pied Piper, Instans Tyrannus 

Arnold : Sohrab and Rustum and The Forsaken Merman 

Selections from American Poetry with special attention to Poe, 
Lowell, Longfellow, and Whittier 

B. STUDY 

This part of the requirement is intended as a natural and logical 
continuation of the student's earlier reading, with greater stress laid 
upon form and style, the exact meaning of words and phrases, and 
the understanding of allusions. The books provided for study are 
arranged in four groups, from each of which one selection is to be 
made. 

GROUP I 
DRAMA 

Shakespeare: Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet 



lOI 

GROUP n 
POETKr 

Milton: L' Allegro, II Penseroso, and either Comus or Lycidas 
Tennyson : The Coming- of Arthur, The Holy Grail, and The 

Passing of Arthur 
The selections from Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley in Book IV of 

Palgrave's Golden Treasury (First Series) 

GROUP ni 
ORATORY 

Burke: Speech on Conciliation with America 

Macaulay's Speech on Copyright and Lincoln's Speech at Cooper 

Union 
Washington's Farewell Address and Webster's First Bunker Hill 

Oration 

GROUP rv 

ESSAYS 

Carlyle : Essay on Burns, with selections from Burns's poems 
Macaulay: Life of Johnson 
Emerson: Essay on Manners 



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